As with anything in life, there are risks to surgery. Dr Grodski is an expert in thyroid surgery which helps to minimise these risks. Listed below are some of the possible complications of surgery. Risks include:
| Permanent major voice damage |
<1% (subtle voice changes can also occur)
|
| Permanent parathyroid damage |
<1% (requiring lifelong calcium tablets)
|
| Dependence on thyroid tablets |
10-20% (after hemi-thyroidectomy) (100% after total thyroidectomy)
|
| Wound infection | 1% |
| Haematoma or Bleeding |
<1% (requiring emergency trip back to operating theatre)
|
| Keloid or hypertrophic scar | rare |
| Numbness of the skin under the chin | <5% |
You will require general anaesthetic, given by a specialist anaesthetist. Risks of serious complications in a healthy person are very rare. Potential risks include: Heart problems (death, heart attack, arrhythmias); Lung problems (pneumonia, wheezing); Blood clots (stroke, clots in leg veins or lungs); Drug reactions; Other unforeseen risks.