Thyroid – Endocrine Surgery

Thyroid - Endocrine Surgery

Your thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate your metabolism and affect nearly every vital function in your body. Thyroid hormones affect your heart rate, body temperature, breathing, and muscle mass, to give you a few examples.
You may need surgery to remove part or all of the gland, called a thyroidectomy, when you’re diagnosed with:

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism occurs when your thyroid gland produces an excessive amount of hormones. This condition can cause heart palpitations, irritability, anxiety, loss of appetite, weight loss, and sweating.

Your initial treatment for hyperthyroidism may begin with medications, but patients often need a thyroidectomy.

Goiter and nodules

A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland, while nodules are abnormal growths that develop on the gland. Depending on their size, both conditions may cause a noticeable lump at the base of your neck.
When a goiter or nodules get large enough to interfere with swallowing, cause hoarseness, or produce thyroid hormones, surgery to remove the thyroid ir needed. Whether to remove half or all the gland depends on variables like the size of the lumps and if the nodule is benign or cancerous.

Thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer affects women and men, but women are three times more likely to get it than men. Surgical removal of the gland is the primary treatment.

When would I need endocrine surgery for my parathyroid gland?

You have four parathyroid glands located behind your thyroid gland. These glands regulate the amount of calcium in your bloodstream.
If one or more of the parathyroid glands become hyperactive, a condition called hyperparathyroidism, it’s often due to a noncancerous (benign) tumor. Hyperactive parathyroid glands release too much calcium, causing problems such as:
• Fractures
• Osteoporosis
• Kidney stones
• Nausea and constipation
• Abdominal pain
Surgery to remove one or more of the glands is the primary treatment for hyperactive parathyroid glands.

What should I expect during endocrine surgery?

During surgery to remove the thyroid or parathyroid glands, Dr. Monraz often accesses the gland by making an incision over the thyroid in the front of your neck. She carefully places the incision in a natural skin fold to minimize the appearance of scarring.