Thyroid surgery is performed for several reasons and can include symptomatic thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cysts, goiter, Graves’ disease, and to rule out or treat thyroid cancer. The purpose of thyroid surgery is to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. You will be in the hospital usually one night. Your surgeon will explain your specific surgery and why it is recommended in your case.
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. There is a risk of bleeding, but this is very low. The average blood loss is less than an ounce. The risk of infection is so low that antibiotics are not routinely used. There is also a very low risk of injury to important nerves in the neck, called recurrent laryngeal nerves. These nerves control the vocal cords. Injury to these nerves could affect your voice.
The parathyroid glands are located near the thyroid gland and may be injured during thyroid surgery. This can result in a drop in blood calcium levels. There is also a small risk associated with anesthesia. However, the relative risk of complications is very low and is usually outweighed by the potential benefits of having the surgery. Your surgeon will go over this information with you and answer any questions you might have.
Before Your Appointment:
Our physicians want to make sure we are prepared for your visit and therefore, before we can schedule an appointment, we will need you to provide us with the following:
- Medical records
- Biopsy report
- Cytology report
- Ultrasound images (on CD) and report
Before Surgery
Once the surgery has been scheduled, arrangements will be made for your pre-operative evaluation. You will meet with a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant from the anesthesiology department. The pre-op exam can include laboratory work, chest X-ray, and EKG. This will be done at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center and will be scheduled by your surgeon’s secretary.
If you take aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, you should stop taking these one week before surgery. The night before surgery, do not have anything to eat or drink after midnight. Get a good night’s sleep.
The Day of Surgery
Your doctor’s secretary will let you know where your surgery will be and what time you need to arrive at the hospital on the day of surgery. It is very important to arrive at least 2 hours before surgery. During the surgery, your family can wait in the family waiting area. They will be kept updated by the patient representative and operating room staff. The surgeon will speak with them after surgery has been completed.
What will happen in surgery?
You will be given general anesthesia to put you to sleep. You are positioned with special pillows under your neck to tilt your head back. An incision is made at the base of your neck and is about three to four inches long. Using magnifying lenses, the surgeon locates the thyroid gland and associated structures and all or part of the thyroid is removed. In some cases additional surgery will involve removal of lymph nodes and other structures. The incision is stitched closed and is then covered with steri-strip tapes and a dry gauze dressing. The operation generally lasts from two to three hours. After surgery, you will stay in the recovery room for several hours. You will be monitored closely as you recover from the anesthesia.
After Surgery
The evening after surgery you will have a liquid diet for dinner. You may have a sore throat. The nurse will provide lozenges and/or throat spray to help relieve this. If you need something for pain, the nurse will give you a liquid pain medicine. You will have a dressing on your neck which will be removed in the morning. The head of your bed will be raised to decrease swelling. You will have an intravenous line to give you fluids until the next day. You will have routine blood tests. You will be offered regular food the next morning. Most people are ready to go home after breakfast.
How To Reach Us?
Dr. Suraj Giri is a trusted ENT Specialist in PCMC, Pune. He has made many happy patients in his 12 years of journey as a ENT Specialist. At Devgiri Memorial Hospital you will get all the necessary medical treatment. Our advanced approach for our patient treatments make us unique.
The appointment process at Devgiri Memorial Hospital PCMC Pune is very simple. You can directly call on 09657002695. Also with the help of the “Book an Appointment” Form you can book your appointment by just filling in the basic information. We will contact you via email or phone call to confirm your appointment.
