Your thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck that helps regulate your body’s metabolism. Problems with your thyroid gland can be caused by cancerous or non-cancerous growths on the gland itself, over activity or swelling. Depending on your condition, you might not have any symptoms at all or a host of symptoms, including fatigue, irritability, weight loss and problems sleeping.
If surgery is necessary, your doctor may opt to remove part of your thyroid, or your entire thyroid. Before your surgery, your doctor will likely do an ultrasound, CT scan or other imaging tests to learn more about how your thyroid is doing. She may also take a sample to test for cancerous cells.
During surgery, your doctor will remove part or all of your thyroid through an incision in your neck. The surgery usually takes four hours of less, and hospital stays are typically short. Your doctor will test your thyroid levels after surgery. Depending on how much of your thyroid gland is taken out, you may or may not need to take thyroid medication.