You’re dealing with hyperthyroidism, facing thyroid cancer, or have another condition that affects your thyroid. You just learned you need part or all of your thyroid gland removed. Surgery can be scary and you have lots of questions. How will removing your thyroid affect your body? How long is recovery? Where should you go for care?
Thyroid Gland Removal at UVA Health
At UVA Health, we’re here to help you with all these questions and more. We’ll make sure you understand all the steps that come before and after surgery. And we’ll create an individualized care plan to ensure you have a smooth recovery.
Advanced Surgical Care
Our general surgeons are experts in thyroid removal.
To remove your thyroid, we’ll make a small cut (incision) in your neck. We’ll take out 1 or both lobes of your thyroid gland. Depending on your illness, we may also take out nearby lymph nodes.
We also offer a newer technique where we access your thyroid gland through your mouth. This means you won’t have a scar that can be seen.
After Surgery
Your thyroid makes hormones your body needs. Removing all or part of your thyroid means you can’t make these hormones or you’ll make less of them. After surgery, we’ll check the levels of thyroid hormones in your blood. You may need to take pills to replace them.
Expert Care Close to You
You don’t have to travel far to get expert general surgery care from UVA Health. We offer convenient locations close to where you live, work, and go to school — including in Charlottesville, Culpeper, and Northern Virginia.