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The da Vinci System at Salt Lake Regional is the only center in Utah, and among a handful nationally who offer robotic thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy. Together with our medical center and area endocrinologists, surgeons, and a full nursing staff we care for patients with thyroidectomy needs, both basic and complex.
What is the benefit?
da Vinci is less invasive, offers breakthrough precision and superior cosmetic outcomes. With da Vinci, there is no neck scar. Initial studies have also shown a decreased incidence of hypocalcemia (low calcium) and less swallowing irritation with da Vinci versus traditional open thyroid surgery.
Find out more. Call the Salt Lake Regional Well Line 866-431-9355
da Vinci is available to all participating endocrinologists and otolaryngologists. Search Salt Lake Regional partners in:
Am I a candidate for robotic surgery?
Your doctor will discuss treatment options with you in detail. A thyroidectomy may be recommended for conditions such as:
- Thyroid cancer
- Goiter
- Overactive thyroid, also known as hyperthyroidism
- More recently, may be an alternative for some to treat Graves Disease
- History of poor wound healing or keloid formation
How does it work?
A robotic thyroidectomy procedure is performed through a 5- to 6-cm incision in the armpit. Your surgeon might remove part all of the thyroid (total thyroidectomy). This is an outpatient procedure but for precautionary reasons, patients should plan on potentially staying up to 24 hours for precautionary reasons. There will be no scar on the front of your neck. As is the case with any thyroid removal you may need hormone replacement thyroid medication after your thyroidectomy.
Thyroid Cancer and Thyroidectomy
If you have a thyroid tumor, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you in detail. Generally, treatments include: surgery, radioactive iodine treatment, thyroid hormone therapy, external beam radiation, or chemotherapy. Treatment plans often use two or more of these options, but surgery is the main treatment for all thyroid cancers.
If you have a cancerous or potentially cancerous lesion, your doctor will most likely perform a thyroidectomy - removal of the thyroid gland. The size and location of the nodule will determine whether a thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy - removal of only part of the thyroid - is the best option.
For cancers smaller than 1 cm (½ inch) that show no signs of spreading, surgeons may remove only the affected side. When cancer has spread outside the thyroid, surgery is also used to remove nearby lymph nodes.
The two traditional surgical options for thyroid cancer are open and endoscopic surgery. Open surgery is considered effective but requires a 3.5 - 8 cm (1.4 - 3 inches) or larger incision in the neck, which can leave a visible scar. Also, the view into deeper structures of the neck containing delicate nerves is limited.
Endoscopic thyroidectomy is minimally invasive and may be effective for selected patients, but it can also leave visible scaring; multiple, smaller incisions are used, with the largest being 1.5 - 3 cm (.6 - 1.2 inches).
Complications of Thyroid Surgery
One of the potential complications of thyroid surgery is voice change. Also, if most or all of your thyroid gland is removed, you will need to take daily thyroid hormone medication.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is patient- and procedure-specific.
If your doctor recommends surgery to treat thyroid cancer, you may be a candidate. Find out more by calling the Salt Lake Regional Well Line at 866-431-9355 today.
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