- Re: New to Club

[Guest guest]

Hi, , and welcome.

Just about all of us have been through the surgery; it's standard operating

procedure (I swear I didn't intend it to come out that way) for thyroid cancer,

generally followed by RAI (radioactive

iodine) ablation.

(1) Based on reading this list for several years, I'd say laryngeal nerve

damage is extremely rare, and permanent damage even more so, although we do have

members who have had this problem, and

hopefully they'll write in. I assume you don't have some extenuating

circumstance (such as a tumor that's wrapped around the larynx), but whether or

not you do, experience is the name of the

game. You want a surgeon who does thyroids all the time (at least a few times

a week). same goes for the anesthesiologist.

(2) I have some names in my files, but I'm sure some locals will write in

(3) According to The NY Thyroid Center, a lifetime total of more than 500

thyroid or parathyroid surgeries makes one experienced; more than 1000 makes

one an expert.

(from " Choosing a surgeon " ....

http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/surgselct.html)

While I agree that lifetime total is important, I'd prefer to have my surgery

done by someone who continues to do them with some regularity.

.... from the archives ...

.... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thyca/message/25157 ... choosing a thyroid

surgeon

.... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thyca/message/25170 ... questions for your

surgeon

.... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thyca/message/24040 ... introductory &

miscellaneous, including protocol guidelines and commonly used abbreviations.

You can read more at the archive index for surgery topics, including voice loss

issues, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thyca/message/23009

I'm sure you will have more questions, and we'll be here to answer as many as we

can.

-

NYC

TT 2/99 dx pap/foll; RAI 100 mCi 3/99 & 4/00; clean scan 3/02;

current TSH ~.06 on .225 levothyroxine

" tuftrjn " wrote:

> I was just diagnosed with papillary carcinoma this week. My nodule

> measures 1.0 x .5 x 1.1 cm. My endo tells me my prognosis is very

> good but that I have to get a total thyroidectomy. I'll probably

> get the procedure done in January...I'm interviewing ENTs starting

> tomorrow.

>

> A few questions for those who've been through this before.

>

> (1) Has anyone here had their laryngeal nerve damaged during the

> procedure? How likely is that? I've read statistics where 1-2% had

> their nerve damaged. I've also read instances where traumatic

> endotracheal intubation can damage or impair vocal capablility.

>

> (2) Any recommendations or horror stories regarding ENTs in Los

> Angeles?

>

> (3) And how many thyroidectomies should a surgeon have before he or

> she is " experienced " ?

>

> Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I'm sure I'll have questions

> again.

>

>