Thyroid Surgery in Springfield, OH

The highly-trained surgeons at Springfield General Surgery will help you find the best thyroid treatment option for you and your lifestyle. Call our office at (937) 717-4884 to schedule an appointment.

What Is a Thyroid?

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland situated in the neck just below the Adam’s apple. In spite of its size, the thyroid has a significant impact on one’s hormones, metabolism, emotions, and overall health. The thyroid produces the body’s thyroid hormones, primarily thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which control your metabolism and promote the healthy development of many other systems within the body. In fact, a healthy thyroid keeps your brain, heart, digestive tract, nerves, muscles, and even your skin, hair, and nails in good condition. If you have a thyroid disorder, many of these vital body systems can be affected.

Why is Thyroid Surgery Needed?

To determine whether a nodule is cancerous or not, Dr. Tedros Andom may conduct a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. After numbing the area around your thyroid, Dr. Andom will pass a fine needle into the nodule to remove a small amount of cells, which will be examined under a microscope by a pathologist. If the nodule is found to be cancerous, it will have to be removed.

There are generally three reasons that all or part of your thyroid will need to be surgically removed:

• You have a large goiter or multiple nodules
• You have one or more cancerous nodules
• You have hyperthyroidism that does not respond to hormone or iodine therapy

Naturally, the severity of the reason for thyroid surgery will be the biggest factor in determining which type of thyroid surgery to pursue for each individual. There are a few primary reasons for these types of surgeries such as a case of thyroid cancer or a goiter/nodule that is large enough to cause problematic symptoms. This goiter or nodule is typically treated using thyroid surgery if the patient experiences:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Compression of the trachea
• Displeasure at the unsightly size of the mass
• Other severe symptoms associated with related conditions of the thyroid such as Graves’ disease, a toxic nodule, or a toxic multinodular goiter

During surgery, you will be given general anesthesia and IV fluid support so that you sleep comfortably through the entire surgery. Dr. Andom will then make an incision along the base of the neck, and remove half, most, or all of the thyroid gland. Once the surgery is complete, Dr. Andom will close the incision with sutures and or surgical glue.

What Are The Types of Thyroid Surgery?

The type of thyroid surgery being performed will depend upon the particular patient and their thyroid condition. There are 4 common forms of thyroid surgery including:

• Open Thyroid Biopsy – During a thyroid biopsy, a small sample of thyroid tissue is removed from the thyroid gland to be later examined for signs of cancer, infection, or other serious thyroid complications.
• Thyroid Isthmusectomy – This procedure excises the thyroid isthmus. A thyroid isthmusectomy is not often performed, although it is an excellent method for preservation of the thyroid that may not be able to be attained with a thyroid lobectomy.
• Hemi-Thyroidectomy/Thyroid Lobectomy – A hemithyroidectomy, more often known as a thyroid lobectomy, involves removing the half of the thyroid gland containing a nodule. A thyroid lobectomy may also be necessary in order to properly diagnose a thyroid condition if other biopsy methods are not satisfactory.
• Total or Near-Total Thyroidectomy – With a near-total or total thyroidectomy, a majority of or the entire thyroid gland is removed. Most often, this surgery is performed if there is the presence of a large goiter, Graves’ disease, or thyroid cancer. Due to the huge loss of the thyroid gland, patients who undergo this procedure will need to remain on lifelong thyroid hormone replacement after surgery.

What Are The Risks Of Thyroid Surgery

• Hoarse voice
• Painful throat
• Bleeding and clotting
• Scar tissue needing more surgery
• Damage to the esophagus or windpipe
• Low blood calcium due to low parathyroid hormone (Hypoparathyroidism)