Thyroid Disorders
Diseases and nodules of the thyroid gland are very common, affecting millions of Americans. A vast majority of thyroid nodules are benign; however, malignancies can develop in up to 10% of nodules, requiring surgical management.
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| The thyroid produces iodine (containing hormones Thyroxine or T4) and Triiodothyronine (or T3) that circulate in the body throug the bloodstream which are essential for body metabolism growth and development, including making the heart beat faster and helping the body to burn calories. Photo courtesy of: ANATOMICAL TRAVELOGUE / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY |
When a fine needle biopsy (FNA) is necessary to evaluate a nodule and make a diagnosis, MMS patients are sent to a hospital where the procedure can be performed with ultrasound guidance. Tissue samples from the nodule are obtained and sent to a pathologist for analysis.
Thyroid surgery may be required if the FNA is suspicious for cancer or if the trachea or esophagus is compressed because of a large thyroid (goiter).
Our ENT surgeons are well trained in the surgical management of thyroid disorders, having performed thousands of such operations over the course of their practice. They employ state-of-the-art monitoring techniques during thyroid surgery to help minimize the risk to the patient.
