Thyroid Q and A

Q Thank you very much for your excellent Web site. It is easy to navigate and has a lot of very good information, including referral information. I would like to air one frustration, however; there does not seem to be much patient information regarding what to expect after a total thyroidectomy. As a health care professional for many years, and now 18 months post-thyroidectomy, I am surprised at the dearth of information regarding this issue. Except for calcium issues, there is very little on the Web. I would imagine the population needing this information would be relatively small, but it would make life so much easier knowing the emotional and physical aspects of your life that can be changed by this surgery and how to deal with these issues. Thanks again for your good work.

A Thyroidectomy (surgery to removal all or part of the thyroid) may be required for patients with hyperthyroidism, goiter, thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer.

Thyroid operations can last from 45 minutes to 3 hours. The length of the operation is determined by whether one or both lobes are removed, and by the complexity of the operation. For example, it takes less time to remove a small thyroid nodule than to remove the whole thyroid and nearby lymph nodes in a patient with thyroid cancer. Depending upon local practice and the extent of the operation, patients may remain in the hospital overnight. Immediately after the thyroid operation, most people will have a sore throat from the breathing tube used for anesthesia.

Pain at the incision is minimal (most liken it to a sore throat), and patients generally require only mild pain medication (for example, acetaminophen) by the first day after the operation. It may be more comfortable to eat soft foods for a few days. Driving is not safe while taking pain medications that can cause drowsiness, and patients should not drive until they can turn their head comfortably from side to side (this may take up to a week). There may be some numbness around the incision immediately after the surgery; in most cases this resolves as the nerves in the skin heal. The wound healing sometimes causes itching that can last for several weeks. The incision will leave a scar, although these scars usually heal quite well. Patients should avoid sun exposure to the wound for about six months to improve the cosmetic outcome. Using vitamin E on the skin may also help to improve the appearance of the scar. Read More >>


Clinical Thyroidology for Patients August 2008
Clinical Thyroidology for Patients is a collection of summaries of recently published articles from the medical literature that covers the broad spectrum of thyroid disorders.

These notes describing published research studies were prepared by Ernest Mazzaferri, MD from summaries of original research articles. The summaries were published in Clinical Thyroidology, a publication of the American Thyroid Association. Dr. Mazzaferri is the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Thyroidology.

August 2008 Volume 1 Issue 1

We will answer thyroid questions of general interest and publish the answers in the Friends e-news and on the ATA website.

ATA Alliance for Thyroid Patient Education

Light of Life Foundation - Annual Educational Symposium
September 13, 2008
430 East 67th Street
New York, NY
website: www.checkyourneck.com
Read More >>

11th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference
October 17-19, 2008
St. Louis, Missouri
website: www.thyca.org

Graves’ Disease Foundation 2008 National Conference
October 17-19, 2008
Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa
San Diego, CA
website: www.ngdf.org

Dear Friend,

In 2008, thyroid cancer is expected to reach a record number of 37,340 newly diagnosed people in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Cancer Society.

Could you please send just $10, $15, or $25 to help us continue making lifesaving advances in thyroid research? Your gift can lead to new ways to prevent, treat, and cure thyroid-related diseases. These advances bring hope and real help to Americans diagnosed with thyroid disorders. So any gift you send will make a huge difference.

Please Donate Online today, and thank you for your help!

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