Thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of the thyroid gland. This important gland located at the bottom front of the neck, produces thyroid hormone, which regulates the body’s metabolism. A healthy thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly, with right and left lobes connected by a bridge called the thyroid isthmus. Depending on the reason for thyroidectomy, it will remove all or part of the thyroid gland. The various types of thyroidectomy include:
- Partial thyroid lobectomy (a rare procedure): it removes only part of a thyroid lobe.
- Thyroid lobectomy: remove the entire thyroid lobe.
- Thyroid lobectomy istemctomia: remove the entire thyroid lobe, along with the thyroid isthmus.
- Subtotal thyroidectomy: a thyroid lobe is removed, the isthmus and part of the second lobe.
- Total thyroidectomy: removes the entire thyroid gland.
A thyroidectomy may be performed using conventional surgical approach or by a newer method in which endoscopic small incisions are made.
For what it is used
The conventional thyroidectomy was performed for the following reasons:
- To remove malignant thyroid tumors (cancerous)
- To treat a thyroid storm, a condition in which an overactive thyroid gland produces extremely high levels of thyroid hormone can not be controlled.
- To remove all or part of a goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) that is pressing on nearby structures in the neck, especially if this pressure interferes with swallowing and breathing.
- To remove and evaluate a thyroid nodule that had indeterminate results in a biopsy
In some people, as an alternative to conventional thyroidectomy can be performed endoscopic thyroidectomy thyroid remove cysts or small benign thyroid nodules (less than 4 centimeters, or about 1½ inches) endoscopic thyroidectomy is not used to treat multiple thyroid nodules , thyroid cancer or thyrotoxicosis.