By Dr. Todd
Head and neck surgery encompasses surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid glands and assisting the neurosurgeons with access to the pituitary gland for surgery.
Thyroid surgery can be done for benign nodules or thyroid cancers. Surgery is taylored ot the disease. In benign disease, attempt is made to preserve as much of the healthy tissue as possible. Thyroid cancers- papillary and follicular carcinoma- require removal of all thyroid tissue and any other lymph nodes or areas of tumor spread in the neck region. This is followed by radioactive iodine treatments to remove any microscopic cancer that remains in the body. This is done in conjunction with an endocrinologist who also follows the patient.