What You Should Ask Your Otolaryngologist before a Thyroid Surgery?

When your doctor suggests that you have your thyroid gland removed in part or full, it is always a scary thought. But you can do it right if you do it from an otolaryngologist. In the USA, one in five men get thyroid issues, and among women, the risk is many times more. Today, we will talk about the real questions to ask before thyroid surgery.

The thyroid gland in your body is one of the most important control centers in you, and it can cause a big handful of problems. These include thyroid nodules, compressive thyroid mass, thyroid cancer, and hyperthyroidism. All of these can be treated with surgery. But you need to know some details from your otolaryngologist before you commit.

1. What Portion of the Thyroid Will Be Removed?

This is a straightforward question with a straightforward answer. The otolaryngologist involved in your case should be perfectly able to determine what percentage of the gland should be removed. In some severe cases where the whole gland has swollen up or is hyperactive, the full thyroid glands may need to be removed.

2. What Type of Thyroid Surgery Is It?

As per the thyroid-related diseases we have mentioned earlier, there can be multiple types of surgeries to perform on your thyroid gland. Also, how it is done will depend upon your condition as well. Generally, only a small incision is made in front of the neck to perform thyroidectomy. In case of small issues, even minimally invasive robotic surgery can be opted for.

3. Do You Do Thyroid Surgeries Frequently?

If your doctor works on only a couple or so thyroid surgeries a year, best avoid them. A busy otolaryngologist surgeon is a good bet, especially for those who perform more than 20 thyroid-related surgeries a year.

4. Do You Get Many Complications During/After Surgery?

Medical literature will tell you that the complication rate for thyroid surgeries is 1% — but that’s not applicable here. What’s more coherent is the surgeon’s own complication rate, which can be alarmingly higher than the rate mentioned in the journals. The lower this is, the better. A good otolaryngologist will be ethically inclined to share this data.

Get an Otolaryngologist Today

When you are having thyroid troubles, there is no one better than a qualified and practiced Otolaryngologist to take care of it. You may get advice from Oklahoma Otolaryngology Associates, LLC in OKC.

**Disclaimer: The information on this page is not intended to be a doctor's advice, nor does it create any form of patient-doctor relationship.