Author: Dr. Kirk Faust

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) is the best method we have to evaluate thyroid nodules. Unfortunately, it is not perfect . In rare instances, it may suggest cancer when the nodule is benign ( false +) or it may show benign findings when cancer is actually present (false -). Overall the accuracy of FNA is …Read More »

We’ll discuss our approach to thyroidectomy in general terms then address specific variations that apply to thyroidectomy for cancer, goiter, thyroid nodules, and endoscopic techniques. Click on these pages for other issues related to thyroidectomy: pre-op care, post-op care, post-op issues, risk of surgery, follow-up. The patient is taken to the operating room and given …Read More »

This page is not meant to be an exhaustive review of preoperative care in anticipation of thyroid surgery. General and some specific issues are discussed that are common and important in our patients. Generally there are few changes that you need to make in your daily routine or health maintenance. If you smoke we recommend …Read More »

Generally patients do well after thyroid surgery. There is very little formal “recovery”. Essentially all patients are discharged from the hospital in less than 24 hours. The majority of patients having a simple thyroid lobectomy go home the same day if they live or can stay nearby. Many patients who have a total thyroidectomy go …Read More »

Typically the  patient returns to the office about  2 weeks after surgery for a check up. At that time we will go over the pathology results from the surgery and assess the patients recovery and over all health. If the patient had a total thyroidectomy he or she will go by the outpatient department at …Read More »

Generally, the risk of a serious complication with thyroid surgery is about 1%. Thyroidectomy is major surgery usually performed under general anesthesia. It is attended with risks that include, but are not limited to, bleeding, infection, and heart or lung problems related to anesthesia. These are common to many major surgical procedures. Our purpose is …Read More »

Recurrent thyroid cancer is a difficult topic to discuss. It is an emotional issue for the patient and an area of controversy for the endocrine surgeon. First we need to clarify some terms and organize our discussion. Recurrent thyroid cancer is really persistent cancer. As we discussed earlier, thyroid cancer is generally indolent. It commonly …Read More »

After definitive therapy for thyroid cancer, patients are followed by an endocrinologist or surgeon  or, less commonly, an oncologist. Exactly how the patient is followed and when they are seen depends on the individual physician and the perceived risk of recurrence. Generally, patients are seen every 3-6 months for 2-3 years then yearly . A …Read More »

Local recurrence of thyroid cancer generally means that the cancer has become clinically apparent in the immediate area were the thyroid gland was located. The actual space the thyroid occupies is known as the thyroid bed. For discussion purposes, the neck is divided into 7 zones. The diagram above demonstrates these. The thyroid bed is …Read More »