Surgery for thyroid cancer

There are different types of surgery to treat thyroid cancer. These include removing part of or all of the thyroid gland. Surgery to remove your thyroid gland is called a thyroidectomy.

Before your operation, you have tests to check your fitness and you meet members of your treatment team.

On the day of your operation, your nurse will go through a checklist to help you get ready.

You will have a few tubes in place when you wake up, such as a drip and a wound drain . You might stay 1 or more nights in hospital.

There is a risk of problems or complications after any operation. After thyroid surgery you might have changes to your voice, and changes to thyroid hormones and calcium levels.