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Thyroid Removal

I have an enlarged goiter for the last ten years. My GP has been after me to have a total removal, and I promised my wife I would. The main fear is, without removal, my trachea could be compressed so that I would some day stop breathing. Therefore, I am planning to go on with a total removal of my thyroid.
My questions are: (1) how safe is this operation? how long of a surgery?
                           (2) what are the post surgical complications?
                           (3) what adverse affects could I expect from thyroid removal?

Thank you
6 Responses
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929504 tn?1332585934
Hang in there...it will get better!
Helpful - 0
1169082 tn?1266789571
Hi..I haven 't been on here in a while...lol...STILL fighting the calcium..though it is moving up..but only because I am on citracal three pills three times a day, plus calcitriol twice a day....I hope this cycle will end soon..I get tired of all these pills.  My doc upped my levothyroxine to 150. mcgs because my TSH was 4.3.  I get blood drawn on Tuesday and see the doc on Thursday, so I am hoping that things are (as the Jeffersons used to say) 'moving on up!' ;0)
Helpful - 0
929504 tn?1332585934
May i ask, what type of Calcium supplements you are taking and what is the dosage??..that could also play a part.  
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1169082 tn?1266789571
Well, I am almost two weeks post op TT, and I wish I was celebrating my decision. I too had a goiter, and my thyroid was encompassing my windpipe and wrapping around the back of it..I had multi nodules also. My surgery took three hours.  I had to stay five days in the hospital due to calcium levels. My parathyroids have not started working correctly, apparently. I had Hashis and one para was embedded in the thyroid, but I still have three.  Every day I am going through this tingling, numbness, sometimes very painful pins and needles, mostly at night, and then muscle cramps.  It is horrible.  I am on calcium supplements too, but I still have the incessant tingling and burning sensations...my eyes jump as do my lips.  I  had a blood test today and see my surgeon tomorrow. I am probably going to hear my calcium level is about 7.0..what it was in the hospital. :(  I am on 100 mcg. of levothyroxine, and want to go back to work...but I feel so 'blah' and totally weak...my husband wants me take another week off...sigh....what to do?  How long does it take to get back to my old self?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The MOST important thing is to get the best surgeon you can get, one who does at least 50 thyroids a year, the more the better.  Your thyroid is a vary vascular gland, there is a nerve that runs through it that controls your vocal function and breathing...if those nerves are damaged, you could be hoarse permanently or have to have a permanent tracheostomy.  You also have to preserve the parathyroid glands which are in the thyroid to control your calcium, without them you will have to monitor your calcium many times a day, not good.  I had two surgeries, the surgeon was awesome, I am a singer, so singing again was VERY important.  My scar is hardly noticeable, in the crease of my neck, too.  I had thyroid cancer, so I am not sad to see my thyroid go.  After five months I am now on the correct dose of meds and feel great!  Good luck, you should do fine.
Helpful - 0
929504 tn?1332585934
I had the same concerns as you...especially the "post surg Complications". I had a TT on 12-17-09 and it took me two years to finally decide to do it. The important phase for me also was to find a surgeon which whom I was comfortable with, and it took three for me to make a decision. My scar is barely visible and it fits in the crease of my neck. The surgery went very well and it was about 3 hrs. My surgery was at 12pm and I went home th following morning. The first few days were testy...my calcium dropped which caused tingling (from head to toe)  and muscle spasms (hands and feet). I wasn't too much concerned because i was started on 2000mg daily of calcium the day of discharge, so that kicked in on time. As I was told by all of the doc's that i saw, you should not have any problems as long as you take the medication (thyroid hormone replacement) loyally and keep tabs of your tsh levels. The Endocrinologist will monitor that. If by chance you feel any different (hypothyroid symptoms) or (hyperthyroid symptoms), your med's should be adjusted. Listening to experiences from people on the board, it's very important to monitor.  What your main concern at this point should be is: If I don't do this soon, it will be more difficult to handle in the future, so, get it done and press forward. You will be fine. I also had a enlarged Goiter with Multi-nodules. God Bless You.
Helpful - 0
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