Thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of the thyroidal gland. Usually, thyroid surgery is carried out due to the presence of nodules or tumours in the thyroid gland. Most tumors are benign, but some can be cancerous or precancerous. Thyroidectomy is performed if benign nodules grow big enough to obstruct the throat or stimulate the thyroid to overproduce hormones.
The surgery will last about 2 hours. The patient will be given general anaesthesia so that they do not feel any pain. However, after surgery, they may experience pain in the neck area, hoarse voice or some discomfort which is temporary. These can be eased with medications. Thyroidectomy is generally a safe procedure. But due to some nerve injury, there is a 1% chance of permanent hoarseness and a 5% chance of temporary hoarseness which can last up to 6 months. Full recovery from Thyroidectomy might take two-three weeks. The average cost of Thyroidectomy in India is USD 1,991.
