With the increasing pressure of modern life and work, the number of patients suffering from thyroid diseases has significantly increased. Treatment often involves partial or complete thyroidectomy. However, how should neck care be taken after treatment? Let's learn about it together below!
1、 Thyroid surgery indications and classification
(1) Thyroid adenoma removal surgery: suitable for isolated thyroid adenomas, requiring removal of adenoma rather than thyroid tissue. (2) Partial thyroidectomy: suitable for patients with benign tumors in the lateral lobe of the thyroid gland, and can remove tumors and partial glandular tissue in the same lobe. (4) Total thyroidectomy of one lobe: suitable for multiple thyroid adenomas limited to one lobe. (5) Partial thyroidectomy: suitable for hyperthyroidism, including nodular hyperthyroidism, multiple thyroid adenomas, and simple goiter. (6) Total thyroidectomy: suitable for patients with multiple thyroid adenomas and bilateral lobes and isthmus. (7) Radical thyroidectomy: When removing one lobe of the thyroid gland, it is similar to the radical resection of the cervical lymph nodes on the same side. It is suitable for patients with high malignancy of thyroid cancer. Surgical treatment is not suitable for the following situations, such as young people with diffuse goiter, those with other serious diseases, those with undifferentiated thyroid cancer accompanied by lymph node metastasis, and those with thyroid cancer and adhesion to large blood vessels in the trachea and neck.
2、 Postoperative precautions?
After surgery, the incision should be kept clean, and the gauze around the incision should be observed for any bleeding or local swelling. The nature and amount of drainage fluid in the neck drainage tube should also be monitored. Pay attention to monitoring changes in blood pressure, heart rate, blood routine, and blood ions. Some patients are prone to postoperative thyroid hormone deficiency and hypothyroidism, and may be treated with hormones and thyroid hormone tablets if necessary. After surgery, observe whether the patient has limb twitching. The patient may experience numbness in the lips and limbs, as well as limb twitching due to parathyroid gland injury during surgery. After the above symptoms occur, routine calcium supplements are needed, such as intravenous infusion of calcium gluconate. At the same time, pay attention to whether the patient feels difficulty breathing. After thyroid surgery, patients may experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing due to incision bleeding, fluid accumulation, tracheal collapse, and bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve damage.
3、 What are the postoperative neck care options?
(1) After 6 hours, you can slowly drink warm water, not too cold or too hot. Eating should be done gradually, starting with a liquid diet, then eating softer rice, noodles, etc., and avoiding greasy and spicy foods; Get out of bed as early as possible to promote the recovery of all aspects of the body. (2) Within one month after surgery, avoid actions that increase intracranial pressure, such as severe coughing, sneezing, and turning the head vigorously. When lowering the head, try to keep the jaw as close to the chest wall as possible, and when lifting the head, tilt the head backwards. Pay attention to gradually increasing the range of movement. After surgery, appropriate nebulization inhalation therapy can be performed to maintain smooth sputum discharge and avoid severe coughing. (3) Bed rest: After thyroid surgery, bed rest is necessary to reduce activity and speech to promote wound recovery. (4) You can take a shower 4-5 days after discharge, avoid rubbing the wound vigorously, and seek medical attention promptly if there are abnormal conditions such as bleeding from the wound. Attention should be paid to keeping warm and avoiding discomfort to the wound caused by catching a cold. (5) After surgery, the neck should be temporarily immobilized. After removing the drainage tube, the neck can be relaxed by hand massage to prevent neck muscle fatigue. After the wound heals, neck muscle recovery training can also be performed. (6) When the surgical incision scars, the tissue begins to proliferate, which lasts for about 3-6 months. When the scar begins to proliferate, the local area may become red, purple, and hard. Physical pain relief can be achieved through hot compress, or anti-inflammatory and pain relief can be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. If the wound inflammation is severe, it may lead to long-term non healing. It is necessary to change the dressing regularly and observe whether there is bleeding or exudation in the wound. While reducing inflammation, a high protein diet can be consumed.
In summary, thyroid surgery removes some or all of the glands, causing a certain degree of trauma to the neck. Therefore, postoperative neck care is crucial. About one week after surgery, neck motor function training can be performed, and regular follow-up examinations such as thyroid ultrasound and thyroid function tests can be conducted according to medical advice.