If surgery is a treatment option for your hyperthyroidism, goiter, thyroid cancer or thyroid nodules, your surgeon will determine whether to remove all or part of your thyroid gland and what type of thyroid surgery is best for you.
We perform two types of thyroid surgery: total thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy.
What to Expect During a Total Thyroidectomy
Total thyroidectomy involves the removal of the entire thyroid gland. This procedure is most often performed to treat thyroid cancer, but it may also be performed to treat uncontrollable hyperthyroidism or goiter that causes severe symptoms.
If you're having thyroidectomy as a result of thyroid cancer, we may remove lymph nodes around your thyroid to be examined by a pathologist. We use the smallest incisions possible, to limit scarring to your neck and deliver the best possible cosmetic results. General anesthesia is used during a thyroidectomy, and you'll usually stay in the hospital for one night following the procedure.
After your procedure, you will need to take thyroid hormone for the rest of your life, because your thyroid gland will no longer supply you with the necessary hormone. Your primary care provider or endocrinologist will do blood tests to ensure that you are getting the right amount of thyroid hormone. You might also have to take supplements after thyroidectomy to balance your calcium levels.
In the weeks after your thyroidectomy, you may have neck pain, soreness of your vocal chords or a weak voice. These symptoms are usually temporary.
What to Expect During a Thyroid Lobectomy
A thyroid lobectomy is used to remove one of your two thyroid lobes, leaving the other intact. We may perform this type of surgery if there are nodules that cause symptoms or could be cancerous. We also use it to treat excessive hormone production like that associated with hyperthyroidism.
If you are having a thyroid lobectomy because of an indeterminate biopsy result, we will send the tissues collected to a pathologist for examination. If cancer is found, you might have to undergo a second surgery to ensure that all of the cancerous tissue is removed.
A thyroid lobectomy is performed under general anesthesia and is often an outpatient procedure. However, if you require a hospital stay, our nursing staff are experts in managing your post-operative care and transitioning you to continued recovery at home.
After a thyroid lobectomy, you'll need to have your thyroid levels checked. Depending on the results, you may need thyroid hormone replacement.
Who is a candidate for thyroidectomy versus thyroid lobectomy?
In some cases, both a thyroidectomy and a thyroid lobectomy are treatment options. The surgery performed will depend of your preference, and we can help you choose what's best based on your specific needs.
In other cases, including the instances below, there is a clear indication that one surgical option is better than the other.
For example:
- If you are taking thyroid hormone replacements or have several nodules on your thyroid, it's usually suggested that you have a thyroidectomy.
- If you have diffuse thyroiditis — inflammation of the thyroid gland that causes hypothyroidism — a toxic nodule or one specific nodule that needs to be removed, a thyroid lobectomy is often the treatment of choice.
- If, after a thyroid biopsy, a pathologist cannot reach a conclusion on whether a nodule is cancerous, a lobectomy is often considered. About 20 percent of thyroid biopsies result in indeterminate test results. The tissue removed in the lobectomy will then be examined by a pathologist. If cancer is found, you might have to undergo a second surgery to ensure all of the cancerous tissue is removed.
Learn more about the thyroid conditions our surgeons treat