This type of surgery requires a general anaesthetic (completely asleep) to facilitate the delicate dissection. Often the anaesthetic is supplemented by local anaesthetic or a nerve block, this may result in you having a numb face and ear for 24 hours afterwards.

For open thyroid or parathyroid surgery, the scar is placed in a curved line on the front of the neck in the “collar” position. Often I will try to marry this with one of the natural lines of the neck. The length varies depending on the size of the lump removed, typically this is around 5cm in length. For minimally invasive surgery the scar is only 2 to 3cm long and is placed on the side of the neck in the line of the sternomastoid muscle directly over the lump to be removed.

Your wound will be closed with dissolving stitches under the skin (these will not need to be removed). The incision will have a small waterproof dressing on so you can shower normally and this should be left intact for around 2 weeks until you see your surgeon. At your post-operative visit the dressing will be removed, this is a painless process and will not worry you. You may notice that your neck is slightly numb and the wound will be thickened and slightly swollen for around 3 months. Dr Grodski will advise you on the best way to manage your wound, it may involve gently massaging moisturiser cream into the neck or supporting the wound with Micropore Tape which you will replace each day. After 3 months scars are often red and visible and then they gradually fade. It may take 12 months before the scar fully heals to a fine white line in the neck.

Minimally invasive surgery is generally performed as a day-only or overnight stay procedure. Open thyroid and parathyroid surgery usually requires only a one night stay in hospital, however if all the thyroid gland is removed, or more than one parathyroid gland needs to be removed, two nights may be required.

You can generally talk straight after surgery and, depending on your reaction to the anaesthetic, you should be able to have a light meal the same evening. However, many patients are aware of some difficulty getting food down (like “swallowing over a step”) for a period after surgery. This always gets better with time. Minor voice changes after neck surgery are common and usually settle within days but may persist for some weeks. Permanent, major change to the voice (hoarseness) may occur due to damage to the nerves to the voice box but this complication is rare (<1%).

On average most people require around 1-2 weeks before returning to normal activities however each individual is different. After minimally invasive surgery you will generally be back to normal activities within a few days.

Some neck stiffness is common as a result of the prolonged extension (backward tilting) of the head under the anaesthetic. The exercises recommended will reduce it but it may last for some weeks and require physiotherapy as well.

If you are having thyroid surgery (“thyroidectomy”) then every attempt is made to preserve all your parathyroid glands. Mostly they are left in place with their blood supply attached but, if that is not technically possible, they may need to be removed and transplanted into the adjacent muscle. Sometimes very small parathyroid glands are buried under the thyroid capsule and cannot be identified at operation and so get taken out with the thyroid specimen. Transplanted parathyroid glands take between 6 weeks to 6 months to recover, however the body can generally get by with just part of one parathyroid gland if necessary.

If you are having a total thyroidectomy (removal of the whole thyroid gland) you will need to take thyroid hormone. After a hemithyroidectomy (removal of half the thyroid) the other side will generally function adequately however around 10-20% of people will require thyroid hormone supplements. For those that need to be on thyroid hormone this will be a lifelong requirement. Thyroid hormone tablets are taken once daily and once at a stable level are simply controlled by a yearly blood test. They have no side effects as they are replacing the natural thyroid hormone the thyroid gland would otherwise normally be producing.

No. The risk of recurrent disease, whether it is multinodular goitre, tumour or over activity, is high and you may well require repeat surgery which carries a much higher risk.

The thyroid gland is an essential endocrine gland in the body. It secretes thyroid hormone which has a key role in controlling the body’s overall metabolism. It plays a role in controlling most body functions including the heart and cardiovascular system, the brain and neurological system, the gastrointestinal system, bones, growth and body weight, the female menstrual cycle, the body’s temperature. Therefore, under activity, amongst other things, may cause weight gain, and overactivity of the thyroid may cause weight loss, amongst other features.

It is routine to require some Caltrate (calcium) tablets after total thyroidectomy, occasionally you may require vitamin D tablets as well. In most cases these supplements will be weaned off over a period of a few weeks. It is rare (1-2%) to require long term calcium supplements after thyroid surgery.
Occasionally you may require Caltrate tablets after parathyroidectomy. As your calcium levels return to normal you may develop some pins & needles, numbness or tingling in your fingers or lips. If this occurs the Caltrate tablets or a glass of milk will alleviate your symptoms, this is generally a temporary situation. You may benefit from calcium and vitamin D supplements after parathyroid surgery if you have osteoporosis although you will not be dependent on these supplements.