What are the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands?
Your thyroid gland is in your lower neck, while the parathyroid glands consist of four small glands found behind the thyroid gland. The hormones produced in your thyroid gland regulate your metabolism and influence nearly every function in your body, from your heart rate and nervous system to your body weight and muscle strength. The parathyroid glands regulate the amount of calcium in your blood and bones.
What Thyroid and Parathyroid Conditions Require Surgery?
Your doctor at Specialty Physician Associates may recommend surgery to treat thyroid and parathyroid problems such as:
- Goiter: A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland, which may be caused by thyroid nodules, Graves’ disease, or hyperthyroidism. As a goiter enlarges, you have difficulty swallowing and breathing.
- Thyroid Nodules: A thyroid nodule is an overgrowth of cells in your thyroid gland. If the nodule is filled with fluid, it’s a thyroid cyst. Small nodules and cysts may not need treatment. However, nodules can become large enough to affect swallowing. They may also cause problems by secreting excessive thyroid hormone and they can become cancerous. Symptoms of a thyroid nodule include a lump at the base of your neck, changes in your voice, and difficulty swallowing.
- Thyroid Cancer: Thyroid cancers often occur in nodules, where they’re typically slow growing and treated with surgery to remove the tumor. The symptoms of thyroid cancer are the same as a thyroid nodule.
- Hyperthyroidism: When your thyroid gland produces too much hormone, you have hyperthyroidism. The symptoms of an overactive thyroid include -
- Weight loss
- Muscle weakness
- Nervousness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Heart palpitations
- Fast heartbeat
- Irregular heartbeat
- Goiter/Eye problems (swelling, buldging, blurry vision)
- Hyperparathyroidism: Primary hyperparathyroidism is a condition that occurs when your parathyroid glands produce an excessive amount of hormones. The symptoms of hyperparathyroidism include problems such as bone pain, muscle weakness, fatigue, confusion, and frequent urination.
What Types of Thyroid or Parathyroid Surgery Might I Have?
The team at Specialty Physician Associates has extensive experience performing several types of surgery. The type they recommend depends on your underlying problem:
- Hemi-thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy: Surgery to remove one lobe or one-half of the thyroid
- Thyroidectomy: Surgery to remove all or part of your thyroid
- Isthmusectomy: Surgery to remove the tissue that connect the two thyroid lobes
When you need surgery to remove one or more of your parathyroid glands, the procedure is called a parathyroidectomy. Whenever possible, your doctor performs a focused parathyroidectomy, removing only the parathyroid gland that’s hyperactive or diseased.
If you develop symptoms of thyroid or parathyroid problems, call Specialty Physician Associates or book an appointment online.
