Aira Hospital

As often in medicine the nomenclature is inaccurate and confusing for the uninitiated.

 

THYREOIDECTOMY means removal of the thyroid gland

TOTAL THYREOIDECTOMY implicates removal of the whole thyroid gland. This is used for malignancy of the thyroid gland (cancer of the thyroid gland).

After a total thyreoidectomy the patient has to be on lifelong substitution with thyroid gland hormone, thyroxin tablets, something which is not implementable here. That is why the procedure is not performed in our hospital.

SUBTOTAL THYREOIDECTOMY implicates removal of the major part of the thyroid gland. It is usually performed as a bilateral subtotal lobectomy, but could also be done as a total lobectomy on one side and a subtotal on the other side. Enough thyroid gland tissue is left to secure adequate production of thyroid hormones.

LOBECTOMY means removal of one of the two lobes - left or right - of the thyroid gland.

TOTAL LOBECTOMY implicates removal of the whole of a lobe.

SUBTOTAL LOBECTOMY implicates removal of a major part of a lobe

HEMITHYREOIDECTOMY means is removal of half of the thyroid gland – the same as a total lobectomy.

RESECTION of the thyroid gland implicates removal of only a part of the gland. A procedure used for removing a nodule of the gland. It can be done as a resection of one of the four poles -  left & right -  upper & lower poles, - or simply by removing the nodule with surrounding healthy glandular tissue.

That’s it folks!