Thyroid surgery is most commonly performed when your doctor finds a lump or nodule in your thyroid gland. The surgeons at Rockwall Surgical Specialists have years of experience performing traditional and minimally invasive thyroid surgery to remove cancer, treat a goiter, or eliminate nodules and cysts. To learn more about thyroid surgery procedures, call one of the offices in Rowlett, Rockwall, Greenville, Terrell, and Forney, Texas, or use online booking to schedule a consultation.
Your doctor may recommend thyroid surgery for the following thyroid conditions:
Thyroid cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms until the tumor is large. Then you may experience symptoms that include:
When your surgeon suspects thyroid cancer, they perform a biopsy, then remove the thyroid if needed.
A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland. It may continue to produce a normal amount of thyroid hormone, too little hormones, or it can overproduce hormones, which is a toxic goiter. It may be surgically removed when it becomes toxic or when it’s so large that it causes discomfort or interferes with swallowing.
A thyroid nodule is an overgrowth of cells that form a lump or mass in your thyroid gland. When a nodule is filled with fluid, it’s a thyroid cyst. Most nodules are too small to feel, and 90% are benign (noncancerous), but they vary in size, can become quite large, and may contain cancer.
You may have a higher risk of developing thyroid nodules if you have hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) or an iodine deficiency, which is rare in the United States.
You’ll need surgical intervention when thyroid nodules are cancerous, they’re too large, or they become toxic and overproduce thyroid hormone.
Your surgeon may perform thyroid surgery with a standard incision directly over the gland, or using a robotic system that accesses the gland through an incision under your arm. The technique depends on the size of the nodule and whether it’s cancerous.
The three types of thyroid surgery are:
In a hemithyroidectomy, one lobe of the thyroid is removed, while in a thyroid lobectomy half the thyroid is removed.
This procedure entails a total or near-total removal of your thyroid gland.
This procedure, which removes the bridge of tissue that connects the two thyroid lobes, is often performed together with a lobectomy.
When you need thyroid surgery, you can rely on the experience of the surgeons at Rockwall Surgical Specialists. To schedule an evaluation, call or book an appointment online.