Thyroid Surgery

Surgical procedures of the thyroid gland may be recommended for treatment of cancer and benign nodules, and different diseases of the thyroid gland including enlarged thyroid gland (goiter).  There are several procedures on the thyroid gland that a surgeon may perform:

1. Lobectomy- removal of half of the thyroid gland.
2. Removal of almost all thyroid gland (subtotal thyroidectomy- leaving a small part of thyroid gland on both sides or almost total thyroidectomy- leaving a tissue of 1 cm on one side)
3. Total thyroidectomy; removal of all thyroid gland.

Each procedure has specific indications. The basic risk for thyroid surgery is damage of important surrounding tissues including parathyroid glands (regulates calcium levels) and recurrent and extralaryngeal nerves (control the vocal cords).

The most common cause for thyroid surgery is removal of a thyroid nodule which presents suspected findings in the biopsy. Surgery is recommended for the following biopsy results:

1. Cancer (papillary cancer)
2. Potential cancer (follicular neoplasia)
3. Insufficient or indistinct biopsy

For the nodules with normal biopsy findings, surgery may be recommended if the nodule is large, keeps enlarging or causes complaints (pain, swallowing difficulty etc.). Surgery is an option for enlarged and multinodular goiter, treatment of hyperthyroidism and any type of goiter that causes complaint.