Thyroid Surgery
Thyroid Surgery is used to treat several conditions affecting the thyroid gland, a small, butterfly shaped gland in your throat that produces hormones that regulate many important bodily functions, including metabolism, brain development, heart function, digestion and muscular functionality. There are several conditions that can require thyroid surgery, including Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Nodules, Hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease and Goiter. When treating these issues, the surgeon may remove all (Total Thyroidectomy) or part of the thyroid (Lobectomy). The general rule for deciding how much of the thyroid to remove depends on whether biopsy results indicate cancer prior to surgery. When cancer is indicated, the surgeon generally removes the entire gland.
If the diagnosis is not clear, half of the thyroid may be removed in what is known as a lobectomy. However, it is only possible to confirm a benign/malignant diagnosis after the gland is removed and tested. If a lobectomy is done and cancer is diagnosed, a second surgery to remove the rest may be indicated. Whether undergoing a Total Thyroidectomy or a Thyroid Lobectomy, the surgery itself is minimally invasive and performed through the smallest possible incisions in the front of the neck to limit scarring.