A thyroidectomy involves the surgical removal all or part of the
thyroid gland. Surgeons often perform a thyroidectomy when a patient
has thyroid cancer or some other condition of the thyroid gland (such
The thyroid produces several hormones, such as thyroxine (T4) and
triiodothyronine (T3), and contains the parathyroid glands, which
Thyroid problems can often be treated
medically, but in some cases, the thyroid needs to be removed. The
extent of thyroid removal depends on the patient?s condition.
- Partial thyroid lobectomy- the removal of part of a lobe
- Thyroid lobectomy- the removal of an entire lobe
- Thyroid lobectomy with isthmusectomy- the removal of the isthmus in
addition to a lobe
- Subtotal thyroidectomy- the removal of a lobe, the isthmus, and part
of the other lobe
- Total thyroidectomy- the removal of the entire thyroid gland
A thyroidectomy is performed under general
anesthesia, which will keep you asleep during surgery.
A five-inch incision is made perpendicular to the length of
the neck. The thyroid gland and blood vessels are then exposed. Blood
supply to the thyroid gland is clamped off. Then, part of or the
entire gland is removed. A drain made of plastic tubing may be placed
in the operated site before the incision is closed.
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Risks and complications
As with any surgery, there are risks such as bleeding, infection, or
an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Rare but possible risks include
- inadequate thyroid function,
- damage to the parathyroid glands,
- paralysis of vocal cords, and
- inadequate calcium in the
Patients often remain in the hospital one to four days after the
operation. If the entire gland is removed, thyroid supplements for life
will be required. After the removal of a thyroid patients usually take
prescribed oral synthetic thyroid hormones to prevent the most serious
manifestations of the resultant hypothyroidism.