Thyroidectomy
Anesthesia type
Airway
Lines and access
Monitors
Primary anesthetic considerations
Preoperative
Intraoperative
Postoperative
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A thyroidectomy is a procedure used to treat patients with hyperthyroidism that has not responded to conservative medical treatment. Procedure can involve the removal of the entire thyroid gland (total thyroidectomy), removal of 1 lobe (thyroid lobectomy, or hemithyroidectomy), or some variation. The procedure is usually done as an open thyroidectomy, though a minimally invasive transoral thyroidectomy can also be performed.

Preoperative management

Patient evaluation

System Considerations
Neurologic
Cardiovascular
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal
Hematologic
Renal
Endocrine
Other

Labs and studies

Operating room setup

Patient preparation and premedication

Regional and neuraxial techniques

Intraoperative management

Monitoring and access

Induction and airway management

Positioning

Maintenance and surgical considerations

Emergence

Postoperative management

Disposition

Pain management

Potential complications

  • Neck hematoma is rare but can develop rapidly, resulting airway compromise. Thus it is a surgical emergency requiring prompt takeback.
  • Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, if unilateral, results in a hoarse voice, but if bilateral, can result in obstructed airway requiring emergent tracheostomy

Procedure variants

Variant 1 Variant 2
Unique considerations Open thyroidectomy Transoral thyroidectomy (minimally invasive)
Position
Surgical time
EBL
Postoperative disposition
Pain management
Potential complications

References