Thyroid gland removal

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Child thyroid anatomy

Thyroidectomy - series

Thyroid gland removal is surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland.

• Total thyroidectomy removes the entire gland.
• Subtotal or partial thyroidectomy removes part of the thyroid gland.

The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system and plays a major role in regulating the body's metabolism.

Total thyroidectomy; Partial thyroidectomy; Thyroidectomy

Thyroidectomy is done while you are under general anesthesia (unconscious and pain-free). Sometimes it is done with regional anesthesia (awake, but pain-free). The surgeon makes a cut in the neck and locates the gland. All or part of the thyroid gland, depending on the particular procedure, is removed.

Thyroidectomy may be recommended for the following:

• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
• Thyrotoxicosis
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) with enlargement of the gland
• Cancer of the thyroid
• Thyroid swelling (nontoxic goiter)
• Hashimoto's disease (a type of hypothyroidism)

The procedure may also be done if a patient with hyperthyroidism does not want to have radioactive iodine treatment and cannot be treated with anti-thyroid medications.

Review Date: 10/16/2006
Reviewed By: J.A. Lee, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.