Is Your Thyroid Goiter a Candidate for Surgery?

Your thyroid gland has enlarged and you’ve been diagnosed with goiter, which affects up to 5% of Americans. A thyroid goiter diagnosis on its own isn’t necessarily cause for alarm, and many people are unaware that the goiter even exists.

For the 93,000 people who undergo a thyroidectomy each year in the United States — a procedure in which we remove part or all of your thyroid gland — the goiter became problematic and surgery was the best solution.

If you’re wondering whether your goiter is a good candidate for thyroid surgery, you’ve certainly come to the right place. The skilled surgical team here at Rockwall Surgical Specialists has a wealth of experience when it comes to thyroid surgery and removing troublesome goiters.

In this month’s blog, we share a little bit about when a thyroidectomy can make good sense for a goiter.

When your goiter becomes symptomatic

People can have a goiter and not even know about the enlargement in their thyroid. That’s because there are no symptoms associated with the growth initially.

In some people, goiters can grow large enough to lead to what we call compressive symptoms — the goiter is pressing up against surrounding tissues and structures. For example, a common symptom of a problematic goiter is difficulty swallowing because the goiter is pressing into your esophagus. 

These types of goiters are often large enough that you see a visible sign of the enlargement in the front of your neck. In fact, some people opt for a thyroidectomy because of the visible lump under their skin.

Another instance in which thyroid surgery can make good sense is if the goiter is toxic, meaning it’s producing additional thyroid hormones on top of normal production. This overproduction (hyperthyroidism) can lead to symptoms such as:

• Sweating
• Weight loss
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Tremors
• Heart arrhythmias

With any goiter, your doctor generally tries conservative treatments first, such as medications that can help shrink the growth. If your symptoms persist, however, removing all or part of your thyroid may be the best path forward.

Thyroid surgery — you’re in good hands

Opting to undergo surgery for your goiter is really a decision only you can make, and we want you to be comfortable with this choice.

You’re in very good hands with our team. We use the most advanced and minimally invasive techniques available to remove your goiter, including robot-assisted surgery. We make every effort to minimize scarring, and we can often go in under your arm to perform your thyroid surgery.

We can perform thyroid surgery on an outpatient basis, too, which means you can recover in the comfort of your own home afterward.

If you’d like to sit down with one of our thyroid surgery specialists to discuss whether surgery is a good remedy for your goiter, simply contact us at one of our locations — in Rockwall, Rowlett, Greenville, Terrell, or Forney, Texas — to schedule an appointment.