Thyroid Cancer Surgery

Question: how long does it take to recover from thyroid cancer surgery?

Answer: I had Thyroid cancer on my left thyroid and the Doctor removed it,since the left side had cancer the Doctor thought it would be best to remove the right side to see if it had cancer to so i had it removed five days later {no cancer on the right side}. It took me a couple months to recover. I hope i was able to help you.

Question: How long does it take to heal after thyroid surgery? How long does it take to recover after thyroid cancer surgery (thyrodectomy).

Answer: If your surgeon is good, not long at all. I would say for the first 48 hours you will be in a bit of pain but totally able to function, walk around etc. Your throat muscles are a bit tight and feel swollen but other than that, it isn't such a big deal. I had more of an issue recovering with my wisdom teeth!

Question: A woman with Thyroid cancer undergoes surgery and direct radiotherapy. The radiotherapy causes some somatic ? cell mutation. the woman later gives birth to a baby girl who has a genetic disorder. Most likely explanation for the occurrence of the genetic disorder? A. The throid cancer caused the birth defect B. The radiotherapy caused the birth defect C. The surgery cause the birth defect D. The birth defect probably is not related to either cancer or radiotheraphy I say D

Answer: Was Iodine-31 used in conjunction with the direct beam radiation treatment? If so, go to this link: http://www.nethealthbook.com/hyperthyroidism.html

Question: how much does thyroid cancer surgery costs?

Answer: I went out of network for my surgery and was responsible for about 20% of my bills. My bills were over $2000. So my surgery was over $10,000 is I had to pay it myself. This was 4 years ago. That said I had another surgery (outpatient)and one doctor want $4000 and another wanted $8000. And the insurance company only had to pay $500. If you do not have insurance, go to the hospital financial department and see what you can work out.

Question: Thyroid cancer surgery? What are the possible complications of the operation and how often do they occur? It depends on the skill of the surgeon, I would guess, but how many thyroidectomies should the surgeon perform yearly so that he/she can be considered skilled?

Answer: I had surgery for thyroid cancer about 18 months ago. The doctor that performed my surgery specializes in thyroid surgery. But I live in Boston where there are a zillion doctors so I'd suspect in other parts of the country you may not always be able to find someone that focuses only on thyroid surgery. But I would hope you could find someone that performs at least 2-3 thyroid surgeries a month. I'm happy to say that the surgery itself was not nearly as bad as I feared. Of course everyone's experience will be different, but besides having a sore throat for a couple days and being tired I was fine. After the first day I didn't need any pain medication. And I should mention that as if thyroid cancer isn't scary enough, I was also 4 months pregnant when I had the surgery! Besides the normal complications of any surgery, there are few risks for thyroid surgery: - The likelihood of a permanent injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve is in the range of 1%; Injury to the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve is uncommon, believed to occur in 2-5% of thyroidectomies - this refers to the vocal chord damage other people were talking about - Following total thyroidectomy, about one in three patients will have a temporary injury to the parathyroid glands, resulting in a drop in blood calcium level - I had this, I just need to take calcium supplements now and they do blood tests to watch my levels - Excision of neck lymph nodes is only performed in papillary or follicular thyroid cancer when these nodes are enlarged and proven to be infiltrated with tumor. The major risks of neck dissection include a significant increase in the length of the incision and scar; and a small risk (5%) of injury to the spinal accessory nerve, which would result in weakness of and pain in the shoulder on that side.

Question: My cousin was recently diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer and her physician said surgery and chemo were not an ? option. Why would surgery and chemo not be an option? All the info we have right now is that the lump is 44mm in size- could it be because it is too big? Any info/advice is appreciated. And we will talk to the doctor as to why but I am just trying to get some more info before she see's him.

Answer: Hi, You might want to Google Dave Perkins Cancer See what the Doctors said about Dave, when he was 60, the doctors said we can do nothing more with chemotherapy, and he lived another 7 years by stopping chemo and using something else. If you have more questions, I am listening.

Question: I was diagnosed w/papillary thyroid cancer. What was your experience with meds/surgery? I am meeting a surgeon on Monday to schedule my thyroidectomy. I am 41, healthy, normal functioning thyroid otherwise. I am concerned about weight, meds, moods, the actual surgery......what has been your experience? I am an avid exerciser and 130 lbs.

Answer: This one is a long answer. :-) I was diagnosed at age 26 with papillary thyroid cancer, not really an exerciser, big lover of junk food, but I was about a size 8 (5'4", 130 pounds) at that time. I postponed RAI (radioactive iodine) because I wanted to have children. After the surgery, I didn't really gain much weight. Some people gain up to 10 pounds that can be blamed on thyroid. Anything more than 10 pounds is probably unrelated to thyroid (lack of exercise, pregnancy weight, etc.). Your TSH will need to be suppressed for the rest of your life except for when you go through RAI treatment. You'll need to take a suppressive dose of levothyroxine (T4) like synthroid. Normal TSH is about 1.0-2.0. Yours will need to be around 0.1. This is technically, chemically, hyPERthyroidism. You may feel jittery, panic, hot flashes, heart palpitations, irritable, lose weight, etc. If you feel these symptoms, you may need to slightly lower your dose of meds enough to stop those "hyperthyroidism" symptoms, but still keep your TSH as low as possible. Mood? Well...being told you have cancer, no matter how "treatable" it is, is life changing and can be very depressing. There have been days that I've just sat down in the middle of my living room and just cried my head off. But it's been almost 6 years now for me...so those days don't really happen anymore. Instead of thinking "why me" I just try to think "it could have been worse." This kind of goes back to what I said before about the hyperthyroidism symptoms. I was feeling depressed and jumpy all at the same time...like panic. My endocrinologist said that I need to "get over it." My primary care doctor diagnosed me with depression and I took anti-depressants for awhile. The anti-depressants helped a little. I switched endocrinologists and the new one lowered my dosage and I stopped the anti-depressants. Now I feel great!! Turns out it wasn't really depression...just way too much thyroid hormone. I have 2 totally healthy kids now. One born after the surgery and the other born after surgery and RAI. Oh...I am still 5'4" but I weigh about 145 pounds now (baby weight...not thyroid) and I wear a size 10. The surgery went well. The doctor will cut the nerves in your neck which will numb the area for several months, until the nerves regrow. To this day, I have never felt pain from the surgery. I spent 2 nights in the hospital because my parathyroids went into shock causing my calcium levels to drop. I just had to take a calcium pill and some vitamin d for 1 month. I had sore shoulder muscles though because psychologically, I felt like my neck was cut from end to end even though the incision was only 2 inches. I walked around hunched over for a few weeks. My parents kept reminding me to stand up straight. As far as recovery...I made Thanksgiving dinner exactly 1 week after surgery. I just had to prove to myself and everyone around me that I could do it and I could beat cancer! Good luck to you...Check out the website link below for lots of useful info about thyroid cancer. Regards, mari

Question: What happens if a person decides not to have surgery for a "possible" follicular thyroid cancer?

Answer: Follicular thyroid cancer has a tendency to be pretty aggressive and blood vasculature found around the tumor is more extensive as well. Complete removal is often the best route of treatment from what I have seen. It cuts the risk of the cancer metastasizing to other areas such as lung, bladder or bone. Many times, this type of cancer can be cured if complete removal is performed and the cancer is localized to the thyroid.

Question: Thyroid cancer - 3rd surgery? Ok so I went to my doctor today - found out I need to have another surgery (which we already kind of assumed.) This is a doctor that I went to a second opinion from and don't feel connected to at all, in fact, I don't really feel that comfortable with him. My old ENT sent me to get a second opinion, but I'd much rather him do the surgery. What would you do? The new doc is one of the best in the area for this type of surgery, but I just don't feel that comfortable with him.

Answer: Your ENT sent you to someone else for a reason. If this new doctor is a second opinion, i'd stick with him unless you decide to NOT go through with the surgery. He probably knows the procedure better than your regular doctor. I'd still keep your regular doctor posted on the results and findings since you feel more comfortable with him and you have probably been around him longer since this is your 3rd surgery now.

Question: So, I have follicular lesions of the thyroid...potentially cancer...having surgery...what now? So, I'm having surgery to remove my thyroid on june 4th. my endocrinologist says that I'm not hypo but I have every single symptom so I kinda disagree with him. I'm at least on the very low side of normal. I upped how much I worked out this semester to 4 days a week for two to three hours and I actually gained a pound. Has anyone been moderately overweight but very active and healthy and then had a thyroidectomy and in turn gained more weight? It would be bad for my health to gain more...how do I go about asking the endocrinologist to try and put me at the high side of normal without seeming bossy? How crappy will I feel after surgery? Has anyone lost weight after such a surgery? I've already had a fine needle aspiration of my thyroid(basically they jammed a big old needle into my thyroid and sucked out some of the lesion cells) and this just told them the cells are abnormal and potentially cancerous. I have to have surgery or I could die. Follicular cancers often metastisize and then spread through the blood. I have three lesions. I know the diff between hypo and hyper. My bloodwork is all normal but I feel very hypo. Perhaps the "abnormal cells" have exacerbated the slightly hypo problem. All I know is I feel the emotional roller coaster of doom and surgery scares the crap out of me. I'm 21, how can I be this sick when I've tried so hard all my life to get well? ( oh, I'm also eplieptic and have panic attacks...sound fun, don't I?)

Answer: My daughter was dx w/papillary thyroid cancer w/follicular variant last year at the age of 14. Her FNA was abnormal, so they scheduled a thyroidectomy. During surgery, the pathologist did a frozen section analysis of the tumor (once removed of course) and did not find any indication of cancer. So, w/ only half her thyroid removed, they closed her back up and sent her home the next morning. HOWEVER, they sent the sample to a lab in CA (we're in OH) and she in fact did have cancer. So, 7 days after her first surgery we were back in the hospital for another surgery where they removed the remainder of her thyroid as well as some lymph nodes. To reassure you, she BREEZED through surgery. She said that was the simplest part of the whole thing. The most difficult was the preparation for the radioactive iodine tx. BUT, I would encourage you to have your thyroid removed. I realize the operation is frightening, but the consequences are even more so. The surgery truly is not as bad as one may think, especially when you are young like yourself and my daughter. I must tell you though that my daughter has gained 8 pounds in 10 months since her surgery. She is VERY active playing volleyball, track and jogging. So, yes, it is true that people often gain weight, but it can be controlled to the best of your ability. Your life is much more important :o). Best of luck to you!

Question: My mother has thyroid cancer, What is the best hospital in new york city to get a surgery.?

Answer: The New York Thyroid Center, which is part of Colombia University Medical Center/ New York Presbyterian, is one of the top places in NYC. http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/ I'd suggest going there for the surgery, but if it's not possible, try to find a surgeon who does at least 200 thyroidectomies a year.

Question: How long can someone live who is diagnosed with thyroid cancer? I have a dear friend diagnosed with papillary cancer of the thyroid. She had a surgery already and will undergo other treatments in the future. My friend is still in her early 30's and has children. She is a very optimistic gal and lives life to the fullest. But somehow, I am concerned for her. I don't know how long she will have to live (as in the case of other cancer patients) and would want to spend more qualtiy time with her and make up for the times that were lost. Also, I learned from my friend recently that the cancer cells had spread to her lymph nodes.

Answer: It is very difficult to say without more specific information. Often surgery can remove all the cancer and future treatment often relates to level of the thyroid hormones which are reduced due to the thyroid having been removed. Your friends post operative appointment would discuss all of this with her. She will also have had tests to see if the cancer had spread. By the sound of things her optimistic outlook may have came from her follow up appointment. Maybe you should discuss your concerns with her. This may reassure you. Best wishes to you both.

Question: My twin sister was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Am I at a high risk of getting it too? She just had surgery (complete thyroidectomy) to remove the cancer cells and will have to get yearly x-rays to ensure the cancer doesn't return. I know that thyroid cancer is hereditary, but as her fraternal twin, am I more susceptible to it? I'm wondering if I should go get x-rayed. I really don't want to unless I absolutely have to.

Answer: There is a thought that thyroid disease is hereditary and there is a genetic link. HOWEVER, it doesn't mean that you will develop the same cancer or disease as your twin. You may be at higher risk of developing thyroid disease... but that remains to be seen. If you are worried about it, talk to your doctor about your concerns. If you start to develop some signs of possible thyroid disfunction have it checked and dealt with immediately. I have send a link for you to do some research about the thyroid and the endocrine system. Best of luck....

Question: what are the next steps in papillary thyroid cancer reoccurance? i had papillary thyroid cancer 2 years ago. it was removed with a total thyroidectomy. i had radioactive iodine treatment after surgery and i've been tested here and there since. i just had a routine ultrasound where they found a suspicious lymph node. i'm scheduled for a FNA (fine needle) my question is, if the results come back positive for a reoccurance, what will ne my next step? more surgery? more RAI? chemo?

Answer: When I had a recurrence in my lymph nodes I did a low dose RAI followed by a body scan to see where it traveled to and since it was only in 4 of my lymph nodes they removed 11 and then I went off my meds for awhile did another small dose body scan followed by a high dose RAI and body scan but im sure every doctor does things different but that was my experience with it and now I am cancer free again. I dont think chemo is the treatment of choice because the iodine is move effective on the thyroid and its safer i believe

Question: What can I expect after a thyroid lobectomy surgery ? I have to have a thyroid surgery next month and want to know what to expect afterwards. They are going to try to leave the left lobe there as they dont think its cancer. How big was your scar? How painful was it? How long until you could speak? How long was the recovery? When were you back to normal? I have spoken to my Doctor but I want to know what it felt like from someone who has been through it, any info you give will be very appreciated.

Answer: I had this done 3 years ago - my whole thyroid was taken out b/c unlike your situation they thought it was cancer (and turns out it was). I was in the hospital for one night. Honestly it was much better than I expected. I felt fine afterwards, not really any pain just like I had a giant lump in my throat. It was very sore to swallow for about 3 days. They offered me pain medication but I never took any since I didn't feel like I needed it. I didn't have any voice problems and could talk right away. In about a week I was completely back to normal. Though I didn't go back to work for another week since they had told me to expect a two week recovery period. My scar is a very thin straight line at the base of my neck, it's about 2.5 inches long. You can still see it 3 years later but I don't think it's very noticeable. Good luck, hope it all goes well for you.

Question: Pregnant, If i have thyroid Cancer what can they do about it now? If I go get the biopsy done of the 2 nodules i have on my thyroid, and it turns out to be cancer what can be done. Surgery? Wouldn't the drugs hurt the baby? I'm just really worried about everything now. This happen to anyone? I am 9 weeks now and would be about 12/13 weeks if i decide to get the biopsy now.

Answer: This happened to me. I had a biopsy when I was about 3 months pregnant. It turned out to be "suspicious" which usually means cancer (and it was). My doctor told me I could wait until after the baby was born to have the surgery - and there are actually many studies to support this, but I am not the type of person that could wait. I had surgery when I was 19 weeks pregnant. The 2nd trimester is the best time. I did not have any problems and now have a very healthy 2.5 year old daughter. Hang in there - waiting is the worst part. And remember the vast majority of nodules are not cancer.