Despite its relatively small size, the thyroid gland is one of the most essential organs in your body. This butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck helps control your metabolism, manage growth and development and regulate your heart rate and nervous system. 

Common thyroid conditions

Because of these vital functions, it's crucial to maintain your thyroid's health. Unfortunately, as with any body part or organ, your thyroid can succumb to various ailments or conditions. The four primary thyroid conditions include:

• Hypothyroidism – underactive thyroid
• Hyperthyroidism – overactive thyroid
• Goiter – enlarged thyroid
• Thyroid cancer

Thyroid removal surgery

You may require thyroid surgery depending on your thyroid condition and its severity. The most common thyroid surgery is a thyroidectomy – or surgical thyroid removal. According to otolaryngologist Chelsea Hamill, MD, there are four different types of thyroid removal surgeries:

• Total thyroidectomy – a complete removal of the thyroid gland.
• Subtotal thyroidectomy – a removal of a majority of the thyroid, leaving behind a small portion.
• Part thyroidectomy/lobectomy – removal of half of the thyroid gland.
• Completion thyroidectomy – removal of the remaining thyroid gland after you've had one part of it previously extracted. Usually, your provider will do this surgery after finding cancer on or around your thyroid gland.

Which type of thyroid surgery your provider chooses depends on the reason you're undergoing the procedure. "If it's something like a goiter, overactive thyroid, or a certain type of cancer, we may take out the entire gland," says Dr. Hamill. If you have a benign nodule or an enlargement causing symptoms like difficulty breathing or trouble swallowing, we will only remove the affected side.”

Recovery from thyroid removal surgery

In general, recovery from a thyroidectomy depends on whether you're removing the whole thyroid or part of it. "Most patients will stay in the hospital for a couple of days if they undergo a complete thyroidectomy," says Dr. Hamill. "But if we remove only half of it, you can go home the same day.”

Regardless of whether you spend some time in the hospital post-surgery, recovery is similar across the various thyroid removal surgeries. "You may have a little more pain if we remove the whole thyroid versus half," says Dr. Hamill. " The pain will slowly improve over the next week, with a full recovery expected after a couple of weeks. Generally, there aren't any dietary restrictions after a thyroidectomy, but I do tell patients not to lift weights for at least two weeks following surgery to avoid any complications.”

Effects of a thyroidectomy on your body

If you need a total thyroidectomy, you will need to be on hormone replacement therapy following your surgery. "Because of this hormone replacement therapy, you'll also need regular blood tests to ensure your hormones are at the same level," says Dr. Hamill. "Most of the time, if we remove half of the thyroid, the other half can compensate, and you won't need any thyroid hormone replacement after surgery.”

There are also four parathyroid glands – behind the thyroid (two on each side). If your provider removes the entire thyroid gland, there's an increased risk of damage during the surgery. "So, if your parathyroid glands are affected, you may also need calcium supplements and other medications," says Dr. Hamill. "Generally, if we remove only half of the thyroid because you have two on the other side we aren’t operating on, we worry about this less.”

The nerve that controls your vocal cords and helps you talk is also right by your thyroid. Consequently, there is a small risk of damage to this nerve during a thyroidectomy. "Most of the time, this nerve is protected during surgery, but occasionally, the nerve can be temporarily affected, and you may experience some changes in your voice or difficulty swallowing after surgery," says Dr. Hamill. 

However, these changes are rarely permanent, and any permanence is typically the result of having a type of cancer.

Undergoing a thyroidectomy

“Some patients may believe that removing their thyroid will make them gain a lot of weight,” says Dr. Hamill. “While it can occur in some patients if you’re staying on schedule with your hormonal replacement therapy, most of the time, it won’t happen.”

While all surgeries carry some risk, a thyroidectomy is generally considered safe, and complications are rare. "A thyroidectomy won't necessarily cure all of your issues or symptoms, but we have specific reasons to do it," says Dr. Hamill. "There are also medications we can use to treat thyroid diseases where surgery might not necessarily be the best answer.”