Indications:
- Thyroid surgery may be required when imaging (radiology) shows nodules with worrisome characteristics or nodules are noted to be increasing in size and changing in nature.
- It may also be necessary if needle aspiration is reported as suspicious for cancer.
- The trachea (windpipe) or the oesophagus (foodpipe) may be compressed because one or both lobes are very large.
- The lump in the neck (caused by the tumour/nodule) may be causing cosmetic embarrassment.
- Entire or nodule in gland is hyper functioning (Surgery is one of the options to cure this problem).
Procedure:
Thyroidectomy is an operation to remove part of/all of the thyroid gland. Typically, the operation removes the lobe of the gland containing the lump. General anaesthetic is required. The operation is performed through a discreet, horizontal cut over the lower neck line.
- Complications are very rare but may include bleeding, a hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, and numbness of the skin on the neck, vocal cord paralysis, low blood thyroid hormone or calcium. (If the gland is very large, then the voice may be a little hoarse after the operation due to pulling on the nerves to the voice box. A very rare complication is damage to the vocal cord nerve resulting in permanent hoarseness.)
- Occasionally the wound swells due to a build-up of blood in the neck within 24hours after the operation. Rarely the wound needs to be re-examined in theatre.
- Rarely tingling in the fingers or the lips is felt after the operation due to an effect on the parathyroid glands in the neck.
- Chest infections may arise particularly in smokers.
- Wound infection is a rare problem and settles down with appropriate treatment. Aches and tinges may be felt in the wound for up to 6 months.
- Occasionally there may be numb patches in the skin around the wound, which usually improves after 2 to 3 months.
After your consultation:
- Obtain authorization from your medical aid and book your bed for your hospital admission.
- Carefully read through pre-operative information provided.
Day before surgery:
- Do not eat/drink after 22h00, the night before your surgery, unless otherwise specified by your surgeon or anaesthetist (you should be fasting for at least 6 hours before the procedure for solids but you are allowed to take clear liquids up to two hours before your procedure).
Day of surgery:
- Arrive for admission at indicated time on ‘Code & Consent’ sheet.
- Change into theatre attire, remove all valuable belongings.
Approximately 1-2 hours
Duration of hospital stay:
- 1-2 days (dependent on pain management, general state of patient and first bowel movement)
Activities:
- Refrain from strenuous activities (incl. exercise) for at least 4 weeks post-operatively
Back to work:
- Sick leave required post-operatively is approximately 7-14 days
Some pain and discomfort post operatively may be expected following any operation, but the following measures are used to lessen the pain experienced:
- Warming devises in theatre as well as warm intravenous fluids.
- Intra-operative pain medication through the drip.
- Post-operative medication through the drip, please inform the nurses if you are in pain so that medication will be administered to you.
- As close to one week after discharge as possible. Please contact the rooms to schedule an appointment.
More procedures performed by Dr Basson
A SKIN INCISION IS MADE AND THE CONTENTS OF THE ABSCESS IS DRAINED.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE ONE (OR BOTH) ADRENAL GLANDS.
THE FISTULA TRACT IS IDENTIFIED AND IS OPENED ALONG ITS LENGTH, AND THE EXPOSED INSIDE OF THE TRACT IS THEN CLEANED OUT.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE AN APPENDIX THAT IS INFLAMED/SWOLLEN/HAS RUPTURED/HAS FORMED AN ABSCESS.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE LUMPS/TUMOURS OF THE BREAST.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE PART OF/THE ENTIRE COLON.
AN ENDOSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF THE LARGE INTESTINE (COLON & RECTUM).
AN INCISION IN THE SKIN NEXT TO THE ANUS TO DRAIN PUS.
AN OPERATION TO REPAIR AN AREA OF WEAKNESS IN THE MUSCLES WHICH FORM THE LOWER FRONT OF THE STOMACH (IN THE GROIN REGION).
AN OPERATION THAT REMOVES EITHER PART OF THE STOMACH (PARTIAL) OR THE ENTIRE STOMACH (TOTAL).
AN ENDOSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF THE STOMACH.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE COMPLICATED HAEMORRHOIDS (PILES).
AN OPERATION TO REPAIR AN AREA OF WEAKNESS IN AN AREA WHERE PREVIOUS MUSCLE CLOSURE HAS BEEN PERFORMED (AFTER AN ABDOMINAL OPERATION).
AN OPERATION TO REPAIR AN AREA OF WEAKNESS IN THE MUSCLES WHICH FORM THE LOWER FRONT OF THE STOMACH (IN THE GROIN REGION).
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE BREAST
WITH INTERSTIM THERAPY, A SACRAL NEUROMODULATION DEVICE IS IMPLANTED DURING A MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE.
AN OPERATION PERFORMED TO RELIEVE GASTRO-OESOPHAGEAL REFLUX; MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH A HIATUS HERNIA.
OESOPHAGEAL MANOMETRY IS A TEST THAT MEASURES THE FUNCTION AND MOVEMENT OF THE OESOPHAGUS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VALVE BETWEEN THE OESOPHAGUS AND THE STOMACH.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE PARATHYROID GLAND/S OR PARATHYROID TUMOURS.
A PEG IS A WAY OF INTRODUCING FOOD, FLUIDS AND MEDICINES DIRECTLY INTO THE STOMACH BY PASSING A THIN TUBE THROUGH THE SKIN AND INTO THE STOMACH.
AN ELLIPTICAL INCISION IS MADE REMOVING THE AFFECTED SKIN AND INVOLVED TISSUE OVER THE BUTTOCK CLEFT.
AN OPERATION PERFORMED TO REPAIR A RECTUM THAT PROLAPSES THROUGH THE ANUS.
AN OPERATION PERFORMED TO STRENGTHEN THE WALL OF THE VAGINA WHICH STOPS THE RECTUM FROM PROTRUDING INTO THE VAGINA.
SURGERY TO REMOVE A PART OF YOUR SMALL BOWEL.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE THE SPLEEN.
A STOMA IS AN OPENING ANYWHERE ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE BOWEL TO THE EXTERIOR SKIN SURFACE TO CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL ANUS.
AN OPERATION TO REMOVE PART OF/THE ENTIRE THYROID GLAND.
AN OPERATION TO REPAIR AN AREA OF WEAKNESS/SWELLING OF THE NAVEL (BELLY BUTTON).