THYROID SURGERY

THYROID SURGERY

THYROID SURGERY

The thyroid gland is a two-lobed endocrine gland located above the trachea. It plays a vital role in nearly all functions related to life by secreting hormones. It is particularly more common in women than in men, with a threefold higher incidence (women use the thyroid gland much more during pregnancy and menstrual periods). The enlargement of the thyroid gland, which is visible externally, is called "goiter," which means "swollen neck" in French.

The hormones secreted by the thyroid gland contribute to important functions such as a person's growth, development, fetal organ development during pregnancy, and even intelligence. In thyroid diseases, the first step is to check the levels of thyroid hormones in the blood. Whether these blood values are high or low determines how the person is affected by the damage to the thyroid gland. If the hormones are low, the patient feels cold, constipated, swollen, depressed, and has reduced awareness of the surroundings. Conversely, if the hormones are high, the patient sweats, trembles, cannot gain weight despite eating, and may experience unwarranted bouts of irritability. After determining the hormone status with a simple blood test, treatment with medication is quite easy depending on whether it is high or low.

Just like in clinics, needle biopsy under ultrasound guidance has been safely performed by us for a long time. Based on the results of the needle biopsy, a decision is made on whether the nodules in the thyroid will be monitored. Not every patient with nodules in the thyroid undergoes surgery. In such cases, our thyroid surgeon discusses all monitoring criteria with the patient and initiates follow-up under appropriate conditions. For cases requiring surgery, whether for benign or thyroid cancer cases, operations that are quite safe, allowing the patient to return home and to work the next day, are successfully performed.