At the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge, our team is proud to provide advanced, patient-centered care for a variety of thyroid and parathyroid conditions. Surgery is a major life event, so we offer minimally invasive procedures when possible, which helps our patients enjoy shorter recovery periods, less pain, and a decreased risk of infection at the surgical site.
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The thyroid is a gland in the neck with two lobes and a narrow bridge of tissue between them known as the isthmus. The thyroid lays over the trachea, or windpipe, and is responsible for making thyroid hormone, a regulator of metabolism.
Overproduction of thyroid hormone, called hyperthyroidism, can create symptoms as varied as irritability, rapid heartbeat, light menstrual periods and hair loss. Underproduction, called hypothyroidism, can create symptoms such as decreased energy, constipation, long menstrual periods and brittle nails and hair.
The thyroid can also develop nodules, lumps of tissue in the gland that are mostly benign but can be malignant. A goiter can also develop, which is the enlargement of the thyroid gland leading to swelling in the neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing or hoarseness or change in voice.
A part or the entire thyroid can be removed through surgery if an enlarged gland or nodules is suspected or confirmed as cancerous.
Surgery can include removing the entire gland, known as a total thyroidectomy, or just one lobe, known as a lobectomy. General anesthesia is used, and an incision is located at the front of the neck, later closed with dissolvable sutures.
Hormone therapy is usually needed for someone who has had their entire thyroid removed. If only part of the thyroid is removed, the remaining portion will typically take over production of thyroid hormone and hormone therapy may not be needed.
Lobectomy patients can usually go home the same day after anesthetics wear off. Thyroidectomy patients may spend at least one night in the hospital for monitoring. Afterward, calcium levels will need to be monitored and patients are placed on calcium supplements.
Four parathyroid glands around the size of a grain of rice are located in the neck close to the thyroid gland. They control calcium homeostasis—basically maintaining adequate calcium levels in the body.
The glands produce and release parathyroid hormone (PTH) when calcium levels fall. Hyperparathyroidism happens when the glands produce higher than normal levels of PTH, which leads to a weakening the bones, known as osteoporosis or osteopenia. Elevated calcium can also lead to kidney stones and permanent kidney damage.
Urine tests can track calcium levels and a parathyroid scan can help doctors locate an abnormal parathyroid gland.
Surgery is the only cure for hyperparathyroidism, and doctors employ a Minimally Invasive Radioguided Parathyroidectomy (MIRP) to remove an abnormal gland. The operation uses general and local anesthesia and a small incision at the neck base.
The procedure can take less than an hour and patients are often discharged within a few hours. Patients may experience some swelling and are advised to take calcium supplements.
Our fellowship-trained surgeons are proud to provide compassionate, patient-centered care. Whether a patient is eligible for a minimally invasive procedure or requires open surgery, our team is ready and able to help.
Their training in minimally invasive procedures allows them to offer surgical solutions that benefit the patient through:
We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to gastric surgery. Our surgeons collaborate as part of a team, which means they discuss different surgical solutions to find the most effective option for each patient. Additionally, several of our surgeons are affiliated with Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, which allows for streamlined cancer care (both surgical and non-surgical) for our oncology patients.
Contact the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge to discuss your surgical treatment options.
