# Meeting the surgeon



## teesa2you (Jan 16, 2016)

Tomorrow my daughter and I will meet her surgeon. She has papillary carcinoma and her thyroid is 5.6 CM. The endo said they will remove the entire thyroid since the right side and the isthmus are both diseased. What can we expect? He is an endocrine oncology surgeon. Will they have to run more tests? What kind of tests should I ask for? What questions should I ask. This is his specialty and he does over 400 of these surgeries a year. We are nervous.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Sounds like you have the right surgeon.

Ask - will she require a dose of RAI post surgery. This decision will happen after the surgery most likely.

Just be sure post op they run both FT-4 and FT-3 to make sure she converts her replacement hormone properly.

You can relax and know that life can be completely normal on thyroid hormone replacement.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Sounds like your daughter is in good hands.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

You might want to ask if they do a lymph node mapping ultrasound prior to surgery.

Ask about his complication rate, how often his patients have vocal chord and parathyroid damage. Ask if he will use a drain. Ask how he will close the incision ( if he say staples, find a new surgeon). Ask how hey will determine if RAI is necessary.and most importantly, if they will test free t4 and freet3 after surgery.


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## teesa2you (Jan 16, 2016)

thank you for all the excellent responses. He explained to us the things that could go wrong, bleeding, infection, vocal chord damage. But in the hands of a skilled surgeon it should be less than 1%. He has done thousands of these surgeries, more than anyone in the state. He knew my endocrine surgeon when they did their residencies at Mayo. He said the sutures will be on the inside, no stitches on the outside and it should be a very thin scar when it heals in time will be visible only to her.they will have to make an incision from one side of the neck to the other since her lump is very large. 6 cm. He is going to take the lymph nodes above it out as well. Feb 26 is surgery and he ordered CT of soft tissue, US of neck and Chest Xray beforehand. She will do RAI I think 6 weeks after? And her thyroid meds will be monitored by her endo.


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## blackngold (Oct 28, 2011)

Praying for her and you a good outcome ♡


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