Thyroid gland removal

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Child thyroid anatomy

Thyroid gland removal is surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland. Your thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland that lies over your trachea (the tube that carries air to your lungs). It is just below your voice box.

• Total thyroidectomy removes the entire gland.
• Subtotal or partial thyroidectomy removes part of the thyroid gland.

The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system. It helps your body regulate your metabolism.

Total thyroidectomy; Partial thyroidectomy; Thyroidectomy; Subtotal thyroidectomy

You will have general anesthesia (asleep and pain-free) for this surgery. Rarely, the surgery may be done with local anesthesia and medicine to relax you. You will be awake but pain-free.

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Your surgeon may do the procedure through a surgical cut in your neck.

• Your surgeon will make a 3-inch to 4-inch cut in the middle of your neck, right on top of the thyroid gland. Then the surgeon will remove all or part of the gland.
• The surgery can also be done using a smaller surgical cut that is less than 2 inches long.
• Your surgeon will be very careful not to damage the blood vessels and nerves in your neck.
• Your surgeon may place a small tube (catheter) into the area to help drain blood and other fluids that build up. The drain will be removed in 1 or 2 days.
• Surgery to remove your whole thyroid may take up to 4 hours. It may take less time if only part of the thyroid is removed.

Your doctor may recommend thyroid removal if you have:

• A small thyroid growth (nodule or cyst)
• A thyroid gland that is so overactive it is dangerous (thyrotoxicosis)
• Cancer of the thyroid
• Noncancerous (benign) tumors of the thyroid that are causing symptoms
• Thyroid swelling (nontoxic goiter) that makes it hard for you to breathe or swallow

You may also have surgery if you have an overactive thyroid gland and do not want to have radioactive iodine treatment, or you cannot be treated with antithyroid medicines.