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Thyroid gland surgery
and parathyroid gland surgery
Professor José SANTINI (MD-PhD)
Thyroid and Head and Neck Surgery Unit, Saint George Hospital, Nice, France
Corresponding Member of the American Thyroid Association
Langue / Language
Francais FR / English EN
Patient information website on the surgery of thyroid and parathyroid glands
Updated April 4, 2024
(Complete content of this web site available only on computer version)
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This web site is dedicated to information of patient who present with a thyroid pathology for which a surgical treatment is discussed: tumor, nodules, cancer, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis.
The role of the thyroid gland, with its hormone production, is a constant element of reflection which is part of a multidisciplinary medical framework original: surgical endocrinology.
Diagnosis of thyroid disease is based on medical imaging examinations such as ultrasound (more rarely scintigraphy), on tests biological with dosage thyroid hormones and TSH (produced by the pituitary gland), and on the analysis of cells collected by cytopuncture (fine needle aspiration) or biopsy (with search for cancer cells).
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The operations are carried out, during a short hospitalization (often on an outpatient basis), under general anesthesia. The operating time depends on the pathology in question: benign (thyroid adenoma) or cancerous and whether or not it is necessary to remove the lymph nodes.
Surgical techniques used by the medical team at our center are those which provide the most safety in terms of prevention of complications (preservation of the parathyroid glands and the nerves of the vocal cords) and the risk of recurrence.
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Operating indications are most often asked in consultation with an endocrinologist who will adapt the post-operative treatment (Thyroxine) in order to avoid any hypothyroidism. Hormonal treatment is not systematic and can most often be stopped after a few weeks; if the ablation involved a single lobe or a cyst.
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The surgical aftermath are usually simple and depend on the surgical procedure and the diseasebut each patient is different and it is the role of the practitioner to advise you on the best treatment for your medical situation during the preoperative consultations which will particularly specify the risk of cancer; this is evaluated taking into account the results of the various examinations but also the family history of thyroid disease. In certain cases of cancer, additional treatment with radioactive iodine will be offered to carry out metabolic radiotherapy.
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Thyroid surgery is motivated by a local neck gene or by an endocrine syndrome; Emergencies are rare and mainly represented by breathing difficulties in cases of compressive goiter. After the "passage" to the operating theater and the removal of the pathological lesion it is essential to take care of the surgical wound in order to obtain the most invisible scar possible. Those operated on quickly leave the hospital center (often the same day) ; pain is prevented by taking anti-inflammatories and local care will therefore be provided by a private nurse.
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The thyroid surgery unit is located within the Saint George polyclinic in Nice; an establishment recognized for its excellence and which has operating theaters with specialized equipment for thyroid surgery, intensive care and a 24-hour emergency reception service.
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La Clinique Saint George classée
parmi les meilleures cliniques de France
pour la chirurgie des cancers de la glande thyroide:
4ème au plan national
1ère en PACA
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