Thyroid Cancer Surgery
Thyroid cancer is one of the most common cancers of the endocrine system. The thyroid gland is located in the neck and produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, heart rate, and temperature. When cancer develops in the thyroid, surgery is often the primary treatment option. This article includes an in-depth overview of the procedure of thyroid cancer surgery, such as types of surgeries, procedures, benefits, costs, recovery, and risks associated with the treatment. The best hospitals in India for thyroid cancer treatment are also provided.
What is Thyroid Cancer Surgery?
Surgeons perform thyroid cancer surgery to remove the cancerous masses or parts of the thyroid gland to treat cancer. The extent of surgery depends on the cancer stage, size, and location. It usually aims to take out the cancerous tissue but save as much of the remaining healthy thyroid tissue as possible. In more severe cases where the cancer is highly spread, then extensive surgery would be required. After the thyroid cancer surgery, other treatments would usually follow: radioactive iodine therapy or hormone replacement therapy.
Why Do Patients Undergo Thyroid Cancer Surgery?
The main reasons why a patient has to undergo thyroid cancer surgery are:
- To remove cancerous tissue: The primary aim is to remove the cancerous tumor from the thyroid to prevent the cancer from spreading.
- To prevent recurrence: Surgery reduces the risk of the cancer coming back, especially in the early stages.
- To restore normal thyroid function: In some cases, surgery may help restore normal thyroid function by removing the tumor and allowing the remaining thyroid tissue to function properly.
That helps to improve the survival rate significantly, especially in localized cases of thyroid cancer.
Types of Thyroid Cancer Surgery
Surgical treatment of thyroid cancer is completely dependent upon the extent of the cancer developed and its spread. Given below are various types of surgeries for thyroid cancer.
- Lobectomy of Thyroid (Partial Thyroidectomy)
Thyroid lobectomy is an operation that involves the removal of one lobe from the thyroid gland.
- Procedure: The surgeon removes the lobe containing the cancer while leaving the other lobe in place.
- Indication: It is usually indicated for small localized cancers that have spread to one lobe of the thyroid.
- Total Thyroidectomy
Total thyroidectomy is a procedure where the entire thyroid gland is removed.
- Procedure: The surgeon removes the entire thyroid gland, including the two lobes. If the cancer has invaded the lymph nodes in the region, those also may be removed.
- Indication: A complete thyroidectomy is typically recommended for cases of advanced or aggressive thyroid carcinoma, or when both lobes have been invaded by cancer.
- Lymph Node Dissection (Neck Dissection)
Lymph nodes may be excised in the neck if cancer has infiltrated those areas.
- Surgery: The surgeon removes lymph nodes in the neck, which are often the first place thyroid cancer spreads.
- Indication: Lymph node dissection is usually done along with the thyroidectomy if it’s proven that cancer spread to the lymph nodes.
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
It’s also known as minimally invasive surgery, using smaller incisions and special instruments like a camera in the removal of thyroid cancers.
- Procedure: A surgeon will conduct small incisions, a camera, and other instruments to remove the cancerous tissue with minimum disruption of tissues in the surrounding area.
- Indication: This procedure is generally applied for small thyroid cancers that are easily accessible.
Procedure Steps
The steps of thyroid cancer surgery are as follows:
- Anesthesia: The patient is put under general anesthesia to ensure they are asleep and pain-free during the procedure.
- Incision: The surgeon makes an incision in the neck, usually along the natural skin folds to minimize scarring.
- Tumor Removal: The surgeon removes the cancerous tissue from the thyroid. If necessary, lymph nodes may also be removed.
- Closure: Once the tumor is removed, the surgeon closes the incision with sutures. In some cases, a drain may be placed temporarily to remove excess fluid.
- Post-operative care: The patient is monitored in a recovery room until they wake up from anesthesia.
Benefits of Thyroid Cancer Surgery
Thyroid cancer surgery offers several important benefits:
- Potential for cure: Surgery can successfully treat thyroid cancer, especially during the early stages, by eradicating the tumor.
- Reduced rate of recurrence: The removal of the cancer is a significant indicator that reduces the chances of returning cancer, more so when radioiodine is administered after the surgery.
- Higher survival rates: Surgery, among other treatments including radioiodine therapy, leads to a major increase in the survival rates among patients suffering from thyroid cancer.
- Improvement in quality of life: The removal of the carcinoma tumor eliminates symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, a lump in the neck, or hoarseness due to the carcinoma tumor.
Cost of Thyroid Cancer Surgery
- Thyroid Lobectomy (Partial Thyroidectomy): $2,000 – $3,500
- Total Thyroidectomy: $3,500 – $5,500
- Lymph Node Dissection (Neck Dissection): $2,000 – $4,000
- Minimally Invasive Surgery: $4,000-$6,000
Thyroid Cancer Surgery Cost: Country-Wise Comparison
A comparison of the same procedure in other countries is provided below:
- United States: The cost for total thyroidectomy ranges between $15,000 and $30,000 and may vary with further lymph node dissection or minimally invasive surgery.
- United Kingdom: Cost ranges from $8,000 to $20,000 based on the complexity of the surgery performed.
- India: In India, the cost varies between $2,000 and $6,000 for thyroid cancer surgery. That is one-fifth of the cost in Western countries.
Top Hospitals in India for Thyroidectomy
- Metro Hospital Faridabad
- Medanta—The Medicity—Gurgaon
- Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi NCR
- Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, Delhi NCR.
Risks and Complications
Like any surgical procedure, the risk of risks and complications accompanies thyroid cancer surgery:
- Infection: There’s always a possibility of infection with the surgical wound.
- Bleeding: Blood loss can also be excessive sometimes during surgery because of the bleeding from the vessel injury.
- Voice changes or hoarseness: Surgery can damage the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which controls the vocal cords, leading to voice changes or hoarseness.
- Hypothyroidism: After thyroidectomy, patients may develop hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), which requires lifelong thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
- Scarring: Although surgeons try to minimize visible scarring, there may still be a visible scar on the neck.
- Calcium imbalance: Removal of a portion of the thyroid will result in altering parathyroid glands and leading to calcium imbalance.
Recovery
Recovery following surgery from the cancer of the thyroid will largely depend on the nature of the surgery and the health condition of the patient.
- Stay at the hospital: Most patients have to spend around 1-2 days at the hospital post-Thyroidectomy.
- Sitting Recovery: For the initial stages, 2-4 weeks is common after surgery; the longer, the more complex the surgery.
Long-term recovery may include thyroid hormone replacement medication taken by the patient for the rest of their lives. Follow-up visits are required to monitor the level of thyroid hormones and check whether the cancer has recurred.
