Can you live without your thyroid? The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ in the front of your neck that produces hormones that control your metabolism. If you have a thyroid disorder, such as cancer or noncancerous enlargement of your thyroid (goiter), health care providers can remove the whole gland in a procedure called a thyroidectomy or part of it in a procedure called a thyroid lobectomy.
Is it possible to live without your thyroid? Thyroidectomy is a major surgery that requires general anesthesia so you won’t feel pain or worry while it’s being done. During the operation, your surgeon will make a small incision near the base of your throat, and then remove some or your entire thyroid.
Depending on the reason for your surgery, you may need to take a hormone replacement medication after you have your thyroid removed. For instance, if you have a total thyroidectomy, you’ll need to take levothyroxine (the synthetic version of the hormone T4) each day to keep your body functioning properly.
You’ll also need to keep up with regular thyroid function testing and lab work to track your levels of hormones. It’s important to get this done regularly because if your hormones are out of balance, it can have life-threatening consequences.
While some forms of thyroid disease can be cured, most are chronic conditions that need treatment and management. In these cases, your practitioner will prescribe a combination of medications that can provide you with a steady dose of the right thyroid hormones for your condition.
What happens to your body after your thyroid is removed?
If you have a total thyroidectomy (the entire gland is removed) you’ll need to take medication for life to keep your thyroid working properly. You’ll also need to have blood tests regularly to monitor your hormone levels.
Your voice may become hoarse and whispery, which is a common side effect of surgery. This may last up to six months after the surgery, but can be treated with medications that help with hoarseness or vomiting.
You’ll need to be careful not to swallow anything hard for a few weeks after surgery, including liquids and foods that irritate your throat. Painful swallowing can be annoying for a day or two, but is generally controlled with Nurofen and/or Panadol.
There’s a chance that your parathyroid glands may be damaged during the surgery, leading to temporary hypoparathyroidism (low calcium levels). This is rare but can cause symptoms such as nervousness and muscle twitching.
Low calcium levels in the blood can be treated with a special supplement and can go away on their own within a few days after surgery. It’s important to report any symptoms of low calcium and talk to your doctor about taking supplements.
Bruising and swelling around the incision or upper chest will usually start to fade within 3 weeks, but this can be uncomfortable for some people. Turning your head can be painful, but this will ease with time.
Life expectancy after thyroid removal
Thyroid cancer has a good prognosis, meaning that most people with this type of cancer can survive for many years. This is particularly true for localized, papillary, follicular and medullary thyroid cancers.
The 5-year survival rate for thyroid cancer is 98%, according to the National Cancer Institute. But this figure is based on how long you live when you first have the cancer and does not take into account any other health or lifestyle factors that might affect your ability to recover.
For most people with thyroid cancer, surgery (a total or partial thyroidectomy) and radioactive iodine treatment are the mainstay of care. These treatments can shrink or remove the thyroid gland and may also destroy any lymph nodes in the neck that have cancer.
Afterward, you will need to take medications (thyroid hormone tablets) every day to replace the hormones that your thyroid normally makes. These hormones are necessary to maintain a normal balance of your body’s processes, such as metabolism and energy levels.
When you are on thyroid hormone medication, you will need to have blood tests regularly. These tests will help your doctor know if your thyroid hormone levels are too high or too low.
Your doctor may also measure your thyroglobulin, which is a protein produced by both thyroid cancer cells and normal thyroid cells. If thyroglobulin is very high, your doctor may prescribe additional treatment such as radioactive iodine.
Life after thyroid surgery can be hard, but most people get back to their usual activities quickly and without problems. Most importantly, your recovery will be much faster if you have your surgery at a recognize health facility.
Thyroid removal long-term side effects
The main thyroid surgery side effect is a lack of thyroid hormone (levothyroxine). After a near-total or total thyroidectomy, you will need to take daily thyroid hormone pills for the rest of your life to replace the lost thyroid hormone.
Other thyroid surgery side effects include a low blood calcium level (hypocalcaemia). This can cause headaches and tingling in your hands, feet and lips, as well as muscle cramps. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your calcium levels, and you may be prescribed vitamin D and/or calcium supplements until your parathyroid glands recover.
Recovering from thyroid surgery:
You should be able to return to work and your normal daily activities as soon as your hospital staff has taken care of any post-surgical wounds. However, you should wait 10 days to two weeks before doing strenuous sports and activities like swimming and heavy lifting.
Thyroid removal for thyroid cancer:
Most people who have thyroid cancer are treated with a thyroidectomy or lobectomy. These surgeries remove all or part of the thyroid gland, depending on the type of cancer and whether it’s spread to other parts of the body.
Thyroid nodules:
Thyroid nodules are usually benign (noncancerous) but can grow and produce excess thyroid hormone. They can also stimulate the thyroid gland and cause hyperthyroidism (excessive production of thyroid hormone). When a person has an enlarged thyroid gland called a goiter, the removal of the enlarged gland is often recommended. The enlarged gland can put pressure on the trachea (windpipe) and food pipe (esophagus), which can make it harder to breathe or swallow.
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