What is the most common post op complication of thyroidectomy?

Hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury are the two most common post-thyroidectomy complications. 4. Hypocalcemia is managed by the administration of calcium plus vitamin D.

What happens after a Hemithyroidectomy?

What to expect: You may have a sore throat or a hoarse voice after surgery. You should drink plenty of fluids, and it may be helpful to take throat lozenges to relieve your symptoms. Symptoms may persist for a few days after surgery but will improve over time.

What are the side effects of a partial thyroidectomy?

Potential complications include:

• Bleeding.
• Infection.
• Low parathyroid hormone levels (hypoparathyroidism) caused by surgical damage or removal of the parathyroid glands.
• Airway obstruction caused by bleeding.
• Permanent hoarse or weak voice due to nerve damage.

What to expect when half your thyroid is removed?

What is recovery like after thyroid surgery? After your thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy, you may have a temporary sore throat, neck pain, difficulty swallowing or a weak voice. Your diet will be restricted for the evening of your surgery, but in most cases, it can return to normal the next day.

Why would you have a partial thyroidectomy?

You may need a partial thyroidectomy if you have thyroid cancer or a lump on your thyroid. Even a lump that is not cancer can grow large and cause breathing problems. You may also need surgery for hyperthyroidism. This means your thyroid creates too much thyroid hormone.

What nerve is at greatest risk during a thyroidectomy?

The cervical branches of the vagus nerve that are pertinent to endocrine surgery are the superior and the inferior laryngeal nerves: their anatomical course in the neck places them at risk during thyroid surgery.

What foods should I avoid after thyroidectomy?

Avoid eating hard or scratchy foods like chips or raw vegetables. Avoid orange or tomato juice and other acidic foods that can sting the throat. If you cough right after drinking, try drinking thicker liquids, such as a smoothie. You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery.

Is thyroid lobectomy painful?

Typically, there is not a lot of pain involved with thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Rarely narcotic pain medication will be required, but it will be available to you if needed. Most patients only need acetaminophen (Tylenol) for discomfort.

Can you have half of your thyroid removed?

Hemithyroidectomy, or lobectomy. This involves removing one lobe (or half) of the thyroid. A doctor may recommend this surgery if a nodule or low-risk thyroid cancer is limited to one side of the thyroid.

Can thyroidectomy damage vagus nerve?

The superior laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve may be injured during thyroidectomy, producing vocal defects more subtle than those found after recurrent nerve injury.

What nerve must be protected during a thyroidectomy?

Both the RLN and the EBSLN are anatomically close to the thyroid and are therefore at risk of injury during thyroidectomy. These 2 laryngeal nerves must be carefully preserved during surgery to ensure that the function of the vocal cord is not impaired.

What are the possible complications of thyroidectomy?

Thyroidectomy: complications. Definition. Major postoperative complications include wound infection, bleeding, airway obstruction (compressing hematoma, tracheomalacia), hypocalcemia, thyroid storm (uncommon, usually associated with Grave’s disease) and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Incidence is 3-5%.

What is a hemi-thyroidectomy?

What is a hemi-thyroidectomy? thyroidectomy is the removal of part of the thyroid gland (sub-total thyroidectomy, hemithyroidectomy or lobectomy). Why is thyroidectomy performed? Thyroidectomy is also done to remove a goitre (enlarged thyroid), either because it is causing pressure or looks unsightly.

What are the complications of surgery for hypoparathyroidism?

Incidence is 3-5%. Surgery can lead to trauma to the parathyroids, devascularization of the glands with resultant ischemia, or inadvertent excision of these small structures. Hypoparathyroidism with subsequent decreased production of parathyroid hormone leads to decreased serum calcium.

Does hemithyroidectomy cause hypocalcaemia?

As only half the parathyroid glands are encountered during hemithyroidectomy, hypocalcaemia does not occur. This becomes relevant should the rest of the thyroid need to be removed (eg; if thyroid cancer is found).