A thyroid nodule is a solid, usually painless object in the front of your neck just below Adam’s apple that is as big as a pea or larger. Sometimes nodules come from other sources and can be cancerous or different from a benign nodule without causing symptoms. Typically they won’t cause any noticeable symptoms until they become large enough to be visible to your family members or friends and embarrassing for you. You must go for thyroid nodule embolization in India– a novel non-surgical method.
Generally, the way to know if a nodule is benign or cancerous or something else is if it changes size or shape over time. As it grows larger, you may experience pain, tenderness, and/or swelling in your neck. It may take some time for you to feel symptoms that are usually subtle at first. They are common and typically grow slowly, so they need to be checked periodically to make sure that they haven’t changed in size or shape since last seen by the doctor prior to surgery.
Different Types of Thyroid Surgical Nodule Surgery
There are several different types of surgical approaches for either procedure, which again depends on how much the patient’s thyroid will be partially or completely removed.
Sublobectonomy
The first type is called a sublobectomy or hemithyroidectomy (removal of half of the thyroid gland). This is done by making an incision in the neck and removing a portion of the gland. It is often done as an open procedure but can be performed using a minimally invasive approach (laparoscopic or robotic surgery).
Lobectomy
The second type of thyroid surgery for thyroid nodules is called a lobectomy (removal of the entire thyroid gland). This procedure is also done through either an open incision or one made with a minimally invasive approach.
Nodule embolization
But the best option especially for non-cancerous nodules or for micropapillary cancers is ablation. Where a small needle connected to a radiofrequency or microwave generator is used to destroy the nodule completely.
There are three main reasons for thyroid nodule treatment. First, nodules can cause problems with producing thyroid hormones, which can be corrected through surgery. The second reason is that some nodules may be cancerous (malignant) and require surgery to make sure there is no spread outside the thyroid. The third reason is that nodules are causing pressure effects on air pipes or food pipes or are raising cosmetic concerns.
Although a surgeon may take one of these approaches to remove a non-cancerous growth, which one will be used will depend on the size and location of the growth and how much it is being removed (partial or total removal).
Important Factors to Consider While Choosing Your Surgeon
- Do not take procrastination as an option. Be proactive in seeking answers to your thyroid nodule and the best surgeon to remove it.
- Get more than one opinion and be sure you are getting second opinions from doctors who are multi-specialists with sub-specialties and expertise in the head, neck, thyroid, and parathyroid surgery and have performed many thyroid surgeries including thyroid (neck) surgery on all ages of patients, male or female.
- Demand to know the rates of indeterminate thyroid nodules. An indeterminate nodule is a nodule whose biopsy results are inconclusive and do not support a diagnosis of malignancy. The surgeon should be able to provide the numbers.
- Make sure the surgeon you choose has the highest success rate possible for removing your type of thyroid or parathyroid tumors. Or vast experience in embolization.
- Make sure the surgeon you choose or make sure a second surgeon examines your thyroid nodule(s) prior to surgery. This can usually be done at the same time as your first surgery.
- Make sure that you have an adequate timetable for healing to get back to normal activities and that surgery does not interfere with travel plans. Consider having a second surgical procedure at a different hospital in case of complications from one hospital in case the primary surgeon cannot perform your surgery after performing an operation on another patient. Also, make sure that the thyroid nodule surgery cost in India is affordable.
Most thyroid nodules are removed laparoscopically, which means in small surgical incisions with minimal trauma to organs and blood vessels, although some surgeons also use open surgeries with general anesthesia.
Conclusion
A thyroid nodule is a benign (non-cancerous) growth on the thyroid gland. It is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland, which is located in the front of your neck below your Adam’s apple. A thyroid nodule may be found on one or both sides and may grow towards each other to touch or combine into a single large mass that can cause pressure and discomfort. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located in your neck, just below your Adam’s apple. It makes hormones that control your metabolism and how you use energy from food. Thyroid nodules are common. They are not cancerous, but they can lead to other conditions that can cause trouble with the thyroid’s ability to make hormones or cause an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
