Operations on the thyroid gland: indications, types

A large number of patients with this or that pathology of the endocrine system, not having received the desired result from medication, badly need surgical intervention, conducted in this case by an endocrinologist-surgeon.

According to generally accepted norms, operations on the thyroid gland must necessarily be carried out only in a specialized medical institution by an experienced professional with appropriate specialization. This approach has made it possible to improve the quality of such interventions over the last decades.

Operations on the thyroid gland: basic indications

As practice shows, in our country quite often physicians made mistakes in determining indications for surgical interventions. That is, the operating table included those who could be cured medically. Fortunately, today medicine in this direction has gone far ahead. According to some statistical data, only 15% of patients with thyroid gland diseases now operate. This is due to a well-thought-out, correct approach of specialists. So, the main indications can be:

• Malignant and benign (in rare cases) tumors;
• Calcification of the thyroid gland;
• Euthyroid, toxic and nodal goiter;
• An increase in the size of thyroid nodules.

Types of surgical interventions

Note that the current operations on the thyroid gland differ from each other, depending on the stage of the disease and the general condition of the patient. Frequently used operations:

• Thyroidectomy. The thyroid gland is removed completely. Doctors use this method to treat tumors, multinodular and toxic goiter.
• Subtotal resection. In this case, after the operation on the thyroid gland, there are small portions of it. Is carried out at a multinodal and toxic struma, at thyroiditis of Hashimoto.
• Hemithyroidectomy. Here one of the thyroid glands is removed. It is often used in follicular tumors.

If we consider the pros and cons of surgical interventions in the treatment of the thyroid gland, then perhaps the main positive point is the complete disposal of thyroid nodules and related complaints. Unfortunately, none of the currently developed methods of treatment does not give such a result as an operation on the thyroid gland. Reviews about it speak for themselves - thousands of people have already got rid of such an unpleasant illness.

However, treatment by surgical methods has some drawbacks. All of them, as a rule, are associated with the possibility of occurrence of certain complications - both after the operation on the thyroid gland, and during it. The most serious and dangerous of complications is damage to the vocal cords. The next possible complication is damage to the smallest glands located behind the thyroid gland.

To resort to surgical intervention or not, it is up to you, of course, to decide only together with the attending physician. The main thing in this matter is to turn to a good doctor who will put the correct diagnosis and pass all necessary examinations.