Thyroidectomy

Southwest Valley Surgical Associates

Surgeons located in Goodyear, AZ

While the goal of medicine is to preserve your organs, there might come a time when some organ does more harm than good. Such is the case with your thyroid. If you need to have your thyroid wholly or partially removed, also called a thyroidectomy, you can rely on the expertise of the surgeons at Southwest Valley Surgical Associates, including Dr. Rama Muddaraj. This expert team is armed with the latest surgical technology, minimizing the risk for their patients in Goodyear, Arizona. To learn more about the thyroidectomy procedure, call or use the online scheduler to book an appointment.

623-247-0300

Thyroidectomy Q & A

Why would I need a thyroidectomy?

Your thyroid is a gland located at the base of your neck that’s shaped like a butterfly, with two lobes on either side, which are connected by your isthmus. Your thyroid secretes hormones that are related to your metabolism.

The most common reasons for removing all, or a portion of, this gland are mostly attributable to the following:

Hyperthyroidism

With hyperthyroidism, your thyroid goes into overdrive and produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. This can lead to a rapid or irregular heartbeat, sleep problems, anxiety, weight loss, and more. If medicine isn’t able to control this condition, you may need to have your thyroid removed.

Thyroid cancer

This is the most common reason for a thyroidectomy. Unfortunately, cancer can strike almost anywhere in your body, and your thyroid is not immune. Over 56,000 cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, and women are three times more likely to develop this cancer.

Nodules

Your thyroid can develop large nodules, that interfere with your ability swallow or breathe. These nodules aren’t cancerous, but they can be problematic, making removal necessary.

What are the different options for a thyroidectomy?

A thyroidectomy is a procedure to remove all or part of your thyroid gland. This procedure has several varieties, including:

Total thyroidectomy, or the complete removal of the gland
Thyroid lobectomy, where your surgeon removes one lobe of your thyroid
Partial thyroid lobectomy, which is the removal of part of a lobe of your thyroid
Thyroid lobectomy with isthmusectomy, or the removal of a lobe and your isthmus
Subtotal thyroidectomy where the doctor removes one lobe, part of another, and your isthmus

Which type of thyroidectomy depends entirely upon the underlying cause of the problem, but rest assured that your doctors work to preserve as much of the gland as possible.

How is a thyroidectomy performed?

The surgeons at Southwest Valley Surgical Associates use the latest surgical techniques to perform your thyroidectomy.

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