3 Different Types of Thyroid Surgery

Your endocrine system is a group of glands and organs throughout the body responsible for releasing key hormones to help with several important functions. These hormones help to control many different things in our bodies, such as appetite, blood pressure, heart rate, growth, sexual function, and reproduction. Your thyroid is an important gland in this system, responsible for secreting hormones that control your metabolic rate, and problems with it can affect your whole body.

Several surgeries are available to manage problems with your thyroid, but which option suits your needs best? To determine which surgery is right for you, let’s examine some basics about your thyroid, the conditions that affect it, and what surgical treatments are available. If you live in the West Midtown area of Atlanta, Georgia, and you’re struggling with thyroid problems, Dr. Shivan Amin and his experienced staff at Midtown ENT can help.

Thyroid gland basics

This gland consists of two lobes connected by a piece of tissue (isthmus) that creates a butterfly shape. It is located below your larynx (voice box) and around your trachea (windpipe). The lobes on each side contain follicles that hold the hormones it produces: thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), reverse triiodothyronine (RT3), and calcitonin. It’s controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which help to control how much of the hormones are released.        

Common thyroid conditions

Here are some problems that can affect how your thyroid functions:

• Hyperthyroidism: the result of your thyroid overproducing hormones, which can increase metabolism, heart rate, insomnia, nervousness, fatigue, and weight loss

• Hypothyroidism: the slowing of hormone production, which has the opposite effect, like depression, weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, decreased libido, and intolerance to cold

• Goiter: the enlargement of your thyroid, which can cause hoarseness, wheezing, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, coughing and shortness of breath

• Hashimoto’s disease: an autoimmune condition that causes thyroid inflammation and causes weight gain, constipation, and fatigue

• Thyroid cancer: different types of cancer cells can lead to several thyroid cancers, which can create nodules, problems swallowing or breathing, and hoarseness

Types of surgery available

We can help by performing different types of thyroid surgery, such as:

1. Thyroidectomy

This can mean the partial or complete removal of your thyroid and is often the option for people dealing with thyroid cancer. It can also be done to manage goiters, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid nodules.

2. Isthmusectomy

This is done to remove the isthmus tissue located in the middle of the butterfly pattern of your thyroid gland, which targets small tumors in that area.

3. Hemi-thyroidectomy

Also referred to as a thyroid lobectomy, this procedure removes a full lobe of your thyroid, which can deal with nodules and cancers located on that side.

Your thyroid is a vital part of your endocrine system, and if you have any of the problems listed above, we can help. Make an appointment with Dr. Amin and Midtown ENT today to get your thyroid issues under control.