It's Whopper again!

[Whopper]

I found a surgeon that claims he does 50 thyroid surgeries a year. Somehow this still doesn't put me at ease since his plan would be to remove the entire left lobe of my Thyroid just because it is not known whether or not the nodule on it is cancerous. I should let him do it for that reason only and take the chance of complications of surgery ( possible vocal cord nerves damage ) and be on drugs the rest of my life? Right now I have no discomfort from this nodule nor can I even feel it! It's like having a wart on your finger and the surgeon says he can remove it but he'll have to take half your finger.

[jemcu812]

WOW - sounds like we are in the same boat-  I just got report that I have "suspicious" cells -- and I'm also "suspicious" of something call "suspicious" --  I too, don't want to be on thyroid medication the rest of my life - because of something "suspicious" and go into Hypo-mode until the med's are leveled out.  

What was your diagnoses to have surgery!


thanks
Jem

[bonniejean]

a very good friend of mine just had his left lobe removed.  Before we had this done we got on the computer and checked out the doctor that was to perform the surgery. and then we ran accross other things about the surgery that set our minds at ease. Here's one: If you come accross a doctor that only wants to take out half the thyriod because he is afraid he might damage the vocal cords by taking out the whole thyroid then he probably isn't very experienced and you may want to think about getting another surgen. Your doctor sounds like an experienced surgen. When you go in to have the surgery they are going to take out the half that has the tumur then do a biospy on it and around the area where the tumur/s are if they see any sign of cancer they will go back in and remove the rest of the gland but, if there's no cancer it is not nessessary to remove the whole thyroid and you may still have complete thyroid function and not have to be on meds.  After the operation the thyroid will take some time to regulate itself and your throat will be quite painful for a few days and your neck for a couple of weeks. One other thing my friends scare is barely visible.
Hope this helps
Bonnie

[Whopper]

The diagnosis was simply that they do not know if the nodule is cancerous or not. There is an 80% to 90% that it is not but as long as there is a chance they claim to have no other way to tell except to remove it!

[bonniejean]

Your right the only way they can tell if there's cancer is to remove it and do a biopsy like I said. Your question was why don't they remove the whole thyroid. And the anwser is because they don't need to. Better to live off meds for the rest of your life than on and you may be lucky enough to do just that. hope all goes well

Bonnie

[jemcu812]

There's a wierd sensation that say n my mind.   Many have had nodules and have never ever had them FNB and they seem to be going on with life.   So it does make one wonder is this just a "New" AGE" surgery for that "New Mercedes"    Really, I'm not trying to take this lightly, but "suspicious" is as "suspicious" is;    Makes me "suspicious"


I'm probably stupid not having a partial thyroid removed but it doesn't boher me as to date!


Arghhhhhhhhhhh is all I can say


jem