The thyroidectomy process aims to completely or partially remove the thyroid gland, which is located in the anterior neck area, in cases of thyroid infection with several diseases, such as: hyperthyroidism, or in cases of benign tumors or Malignant, and resort to the removal of the thyroid gland in the event of failure of other drug treatments.
Risks of performing the operation
Having thyroidectomy is associated with many risks, such as the following
Infection in the surgical incision.
Bleeding
Hypersensitivity to anesthetics.
Damage to the vocal cords.
nerve injury
Parathyroid gland damage.
Before the surgery
Here are the most important things in the preoperative period
Some tests are performed, such as: thyroid function test, complete blood count, blood chemistry, blood clotting functions, and kidney and liver function tests.
Other examinations are performed to obtain an accurate diagnosis, such as an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and a radioisotope imaging scan.
A biopsy may be taken to check for any tumors.
If the patient is elderly, he is asked to perform a chest x-ray and an electrocardiogram before the operation.
The doctor should be consulted regarding the medications that the patient should stop taking before the surgery.
You should fast for 8 hours before surgery.
while performing the surgery
The operation to remove the thyroid gland takes two hours, and it is performed as follows
General anesthesia is done.
The neck and chest area are well sterilized.
Making a small incision in the front and lower part of the neck, and after exposing the gland, the surgeon separates it from its place along with the blood vessels that supply it with blood.
The doctor removes the entire gland in cases of cancer in the thyroid gland, while only one part of it is removed in cases of hyperthyroidism.
The incision is sutured, and a drain tube is usually placed in place of the incision to drain fluid from the tissues.
Post-surgery
The most important things to expect after the operation are as follows
The patient usually stays in the hospital for about 24-72 hours after surgery to ensure that his condition is stable.
Drainage tubes are removed within a few days, and sutures are removed within ten days.
Analgesics can be used as needed in case of pain.
The patient may feel changes in the voice during the first days after the surgery.
The patient may be asked to receive complementary chemotherapy after thyroidectomy in cases of thyroid cancer, and this is determined based on the extent of the tumor, in addition to that, the patient receives complementary treatment containing thyroid hormone.
You should go to the doctor immediately if some symptoms appear, such as: severe pain, bleeding, shortness of breath, high temperature, and purulent secretions.
