What are the steps of thyroidectomy and how effective is the surgery?

When performing a thyroidectomy, the patient should have some understanding of the surgical process, and the following steps are generally followed during the resection process.

Thyroidectomy surgery steps:

1. The body position, incision, and exposure are the same as those for subtotal thyroidectomy.

2. Expose the thyroid gland After exposing the thyroid gland, separate and cut the thyroid ligament, deal with the upper pole blood vessels of the thyroid gland, and then ligate and cut the middle and lower thyroid veins. Deal with the inferior thyroid artery, ligate and cut it, close to the inner side of the carotid artery, or use the intracapsular ligation method to deal with the inferior thyroid artery.

3. Cut off the thyroid septum. Use curved hemostatic forceps to bluntly separate the thyroid septum in front of the trachea and cut it off.

4. Remove the lateral lobe of the thyroid gland, either from the upper pole downward or from the lower pole upward, or start from the sulcus to separate the back of the thyroid gland. At this time, the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid gland should be carefully identified and protected to avoid damage.

5. Stop bleeding and suture After the bleeding is completely stopped, place a drain, suture layer by layer, and close the incision.

Thyroidectomy surgery results:

Subtotal thyroidectomy is an effective treatment for simple goiter, hyperthyroidism, thyroid cysts, etc. Those who meet the indications should undergo surgery as soon as possible. However, there are also cases of recurrence after surgery, with a recurrence rate of 4-6%, mostly in patients under 40 years old. Patients with hyperthyroidism are prone to exophthalmos complications after surgery. Hyperthyroidism can lead to miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death and pregnancy poisoning, and pregnancy can aggravate hyperthyroidism. Surgical treatment should be performed in early pregnancy (April to May) or after delivery.