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529620 tn?1213721019

Goiter Surgery Recovery

I'm having surgery to remove my goiter (which the doctor referred to as "impressive") on the 14th.  It is a substernal goiter and he mentioned having a thoracic surgeon on standby in case he needs to go in through the chest area.  What is the recovery period for a simple goiter removal, and what is the recovery period for a more involved surgery?


This discussion is related to Substernal Goiter Surgery.
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Avatar universal
I pray that all things have work for your health. Pray and believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that perfect love casteth out fear.
1John 4:18
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Avatar universal
I pray that all things have work for your health. Pray and believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that perfect love casteth out fear.
1John 4:18
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Avatar universal
im 19 years old i am hazel and i have goiter..im afraid to take any medication...what should i do ..can you give any help?
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Avatar universal
I had a substernal goiter removed in 08 the had did FNA on thyroid  before surgery said no cancer  waited  about 9 mths  to have surgery but was having symptoms, Surgeon did not want an emergency, so I had it done they got the goiter out and had to remove left side of thyroid  to get it out  well goiter wasn't cancer but the found cancer in the thyroid it self  still have right side now the just found another mass larger then the first same left side, surgery was great no pain tylenol if anything would due more  swelling then anything  and as long as levels stay good your out next day, now it will be different if sternum gets involved, hope that won't happen for you good luck
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Avatar universal
about 4 year ago.they found out a had thyroin disease. i year later hashimoto
not a got a mark that came up on my neck the shape of a butterflythey did a ultasound thyroid is not biger 4cm got to go back to the dr, in 4 day to see if they will take it out
on top of that my hair is fallan hair
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139126 tn?1255036991
If you are scheduled to have a TT unless there is a problem most people only have 1 surgery.   I had 2 because I had some post op bleeding which they had to stop.   That's very, very rare, however.   I was in the hospital for 2 days but only because of the second surgery.   Took about 2 weeks before I started to feel somewhat human again.   I was tired and a little spacy.   I had no pain at all, not even a sore throat from the tube.   The 2 things that they watch for while you're in the hospital are bleeding and your calcium levels.   You'll have lots of blood work done.  Anyway, I'm now almost 9 months post op and I feel totally normal and way, way better than I felt prior to the surgery.   Why are you having the surgery?
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Avatar universal
geting ready to have my goiter remove. is there anything i really need to know..
like hospital stay.  and i hear that people have to have two surgey.. is that right and if so why cant they do it all at the same time.
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212753 tn?1275073111
it just depends. My first surgery I was in 3 days  Iwas off work for about 2 weeks. I was onlight duty for about 3months to heal up My second surgery is where they took out the sub sternal goiter. That took a long time cause they had to cut my sternum.
Everyone is different. I heal pretty fast as long as the bone isnt involved
Give us some  more input as to your situation and we can help you better.

You might want to make this a new post  so othere can give you their experience.
BTW welcome to the forum.
Love Venora
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Avatar universal
i may have to go for a surgery to remove my goiters and i want to no how long i will be in hospital for? and how long until it will fully heal?
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212753 tn?1275073111
HI there I had a substernal goiter removed through my sternum. It took about 6 months for it to heal and I still have a little trouble vacuuming and some things at work like breaking torque on nuts and bolts.( I am a jet engine mechanic)  Its not such a bad surgery and I have had lots of surgeries. It just takes the bone a long time to heal.
I will keep you in my prayers for you to have a simple surgery and that they wont have to go through your sternum.
Keep in touch
Love Venora
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168348 tn?1379357075
I am going to see if Venoramoonwind can get to your post .. she had this surgery last year .. today is her first day back from vacation.  

WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY!

I don't have much experience to help you but wanted to say hello!

Cheryl
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2 Comments
I will be going for total removal of large goiter and need to know the successful rate, thanks
Hi Flojo12,

This is a very old post and most of the original commenters are no longer active on this forum.  If you have a question, post it as a new question and more people will see it and answer.  

As for the success rate of thyroid surgery - a lot of that has to do with how many surgeries a year your surgeon performs.  Hopefully, before your surgery your surgeon will discuss with you the possible complications that could occur, and this would be a good time to ask them how often they perform that type of surgery and what their own personal complication rate is.  Most surgeons who perform thyroid surgery will have encountered some complications so this rate is usually not zero, but should be pretty low.

I had two thyroid lobectomies, and my surgeon performs hundreds of thyroid surgeries a year and had a risk "lower than the average for the US" (I don't remember the exact number, but it was pretty low).  In general, I think you want a surgeon that performs 25 or more thyroid surgeries a year, but sometimes this is difficult based on insurance coverage and location.

The most common complications with thyroid surgery are damage to the parathyroid glands and damage to the laryngeal nerves.  The parathyroid glands are four glands attached to the back of the thyroid itself and they regulate calcium levels, and when the total thyroid is removed, the risk of damage/loss of function is higher than if only half the thyroid is removed because you have two on each side.  If they are permanently damaged or accidentally removed with the thyroid, then you would be dependent on taking calcium supplements.  I had some swelling after my surgery, so I had to take calcium supplements for a brief period following surgery.  For total thyroidectomies or "thyroid removal completion surgery" (which is what my second surgery was), I had to stay a little longer in the hospital to check calcium levels.

The other major complication for thyroid surgery is damage to the laryngeal nerves, which control the voice box (larynx) and your voice.  Some people experience a loss of voice for several weeks following surgery as partial damage can result in hoarseness or loss of voice, and in a very small percentage of people it is permanent.  I was hoarse for about an hour after my surgery, but recovered pretty quickly.

Other risks include any that you would associate with surgery including bad reactions to general anesthesia and infections, although infection rate with neck surgery is lower than in other locations of the body.  Age and other factors such as poor circulation or diabetes could also influence the "success" rate, so this varies from person to person.

In general, most thyroid surgeries are successful and result in no complications, but it is important to realize that any surgery has some risks, and your surgeon should discuss these with you in a presurgery appointment.  Please talk to your doctor about the risks before going for surgery, especially if you are worried.  Every person is different and therefore there might be different risks than what I listed here.

Additionally - total removal of the thyroid means you will need to take supplemental thyroid medication for the rest of your life, which can sometimes be tricky to get the right dosage and would be worth discussing with your doctor before surgery as well.

Good luck and I hope your surgery goes well for you!
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