A thyroidectomy is surgery to take out your thyroid gland. This gland is shaped like a butterfly. It lies across the windpipe (trachea). The gland makes hormones that control how your body makes and uses energy (metabolism). A doctor removes the gland when it gets too big, does not work right, or has a tumor. Most tumors that grow in this gland are benign. This means they are not cancer.
The doctor will take out the thyroid through a cut (incision) in the front of your neck. You will likely have a tube, called a drain, in your neck to let fluid out of the cut. The drain is most often taken out before you go home.
You may go home on the same day. Or you may stay one or more nights in the hospital. You may return to work or your normal routine in 1 to 2 weeks. This depends on whether you need more treatment and how you feel. It may also depend on the kind of work you do.
Your doctor will check your incision in about a week. You may need to take thyroid medicine. If you have thyroid cancer, you may need to have radioactive iodine therapy. Your doctor will talk to you about what happens next.
Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.
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Thyroidectomy is the removal of the thyroid gland, which is shaped like a butterfly and lies across the windpipe (trachea). The gland makes hormones that control how your body makes and uses energy (metabolism). A doctor removes the gland when a tumor is present. The doctor may also remove the gland if you have an enlarged thyroid that is causing symptoms that bother you. Most tumors that grow in the thyroid gland are benign. This means they aren't cancer.
You may leave the hospital with stitches in the cut (incision) the doctor made. Your doctor will tell you if you need to come back to have these removed. You may still have a tube called a drain in your neck. Your doctor will take this out a few days after your surgery.
You may have some trouble chewing and swallowing after you go home. Your voice probably will be hoarse, and you may have trouble talking. For most people, these problems get better within 3 to 4 months, but it can take as long as a year. In some cases, this surgery causes permanent problems with chewing, speaking, or swallowing.
Surgery for hyperthyroidism is called thyroidectomy. It removes part or all of the thyroid gland. Doctors rarely use this surgery to treat hyperthyroidism. It's riskier than other treatments.
You may need surgery if:
Your doctor will have you take antithyroid medicines if you have any surgery for the condition.
After surgery, your doctor will check your thyroid hormone levels regularly. That's because you could get hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone).
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