What To Expect: Your Guide to Recovery from Thyroid Surgery

Thyroid surgery is also known as a thyroidectomy. It is a surgical process to remove all (total) or part (partial/lobectomy) of the thyroid gland (butterfly-shaped, located in the neck). Primarily, it treats conditions like thyroid cancer and certain thyroid conditions, including thyroid nodules, Goitre, or Hyperthyroidism.

If you’re also suffering from these kinds of thyroid conditions and are close to having surgery, or have already gone through it. Then this blog is for you, providing a complete guide to recovery from thyroid surgery, including post-surgery diet and lifestyle, the recovery process, and more.

What to Expect Immediately After Thyroid Surgery

Thyroidectomy usually takes 2 hours to complete, depending on the complexity and type of procedure. During surgery, the surgeon uses anaesthesia to put you completely to sleep, allowing for a painless surgery. However, how do you feel after surgery? If you have already gone through it, then you know, but for those who are about to undergo the procedure, here is what you expect after it:

• Monitoring: You will be closely monitored when you wake up from anaesthesia to promptly detect any immediate complications.
• Neck Pain: It is common to have neck pain, such as pain while swallowing or coughing. Also, it may last longer for almost 4-5 days.
• Voice Changes: As the surgery is performed in the neck, nerves may be affected. As a result, the voice may become hoarse, weak, or tired.
• Incision Care: The incision is usually made in a natural skin crease in the lower front of the neck. Moreover, you might also have a surgical drain that will be removed the next day.
• Stiffness: The sensation of tight muscles is usually common in the neck, shoulders, or back. You need to do movement to reduce it.
• Numbness: Numbness around the incision or chin is normal for days or even weeks. Moreover, mild numbness or tightness also lasts for months as the nerve regenerates.

Common Symptoms During Recovery

After a successful Thyroid surgery, you will feel these common symptoms:

1. Sore Throat

It is very common to have a sore throat after surgery, mainly caused by the endotracheal tube used during anaesthesia. You will feel a scratchy throat, pain while swallowing, and a feeling of something stuck in your throat. This is temporary; it usually lasts a week.

2. Neck Pain or Swelling

Almost 80% of patients experience neck pain or swelling, which is common and usually caused by the healing of internal muscles. Furthermore, hardness or tightness around the incision is also common. These symptoms reach their peak in the first 24 hours after surgery, then gradually improve.

3. Fatigue & Tiredness

The body uses energy to heal after surgery, and changes in thyroid hormone levels can take time to return to normal. As a result, feelings of sadness, apathy, and low energy are common. These symptoms are usually more severe during the first week but then gradually subside.

4. Incision Scars

A hard or pink/red scar may form upon the incision. However, it is part of the healing process that may take weeks or months to soften. You need to keep your wound away from direct sunlight to prevent extra darkness over it, especially in the first year.

5. Hypothyroidism Symptoms

Your body needs medication to help balance itself during hormonal changes. When the thyroid is removed, your body can’t produce its own hormones. Due to this, you need to face low energy, weight gain, or dry skin symptoms.

Diet After Thyroidectomy Surgery

First, discuss about dietary factors after thyroidectomy surgery:

The thyroid glands produce hormones (T3, T4) that play a vital role in your body, helping in digestion and regulating heart, brain, and muscle function. After a total thyroidectomy, you lose your thyroid gland, which means the body no longer produces hormones. Here, diet may help you to fulfil the need for hormones:

Immediate Post-Surgery Diet

• Focus on soft food that can be swallowed easily

1. Soups
2. Mashed potatoes
3. Yogurts
4. Smoothies
5. Puddings
6. Scrambled eggs
7. Apple sauce.

Moreover, cool food items like ice cream also soothe the throat.

• What you need to avoid:

Hard, crunchy, and acidic food items like:

• Chips
• Raw vegetables
• Citrus fruits
• Toast
• Orange juice
• Hot drinks

These food items can scratch or burn the throat.

Recovery Phase (1-3 Weeks Post Surgery)

After a few days or weeks, the throat gets slightly improved, so start taking:

• Whole grains
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Fish

Plant-based proteins like lentils and tofu

These food items contain nutrition, high protein, and high fibre that support healing.

Long-Term Diet (After a month)

Surgical pain and discomfort only last for 1 or 2 months, and you can take your normal diet after this, but make sure to consult with a specialised doctor. However, here are a few things regarding diet that you must be aware of:

• After surgery, your metabolism may slow down, making weight gain common. To maintain it, follow a balanced, low-sugar diet.
• Avoid eating high-fibre and iron-rich foods within 4 hours of taking thyroid medications.

Lifestyle After Thyroidectomy Surgery

1. Wound Care

• Keep the wound dressing dry for 24 to 48 hours to support wound healing. After keeping it dry, gently clean it with soap and water. Avoid scrubbing directly.
• You need to avoid activities like swimming and other heavy lifting until the scar is completely healed. This can prevent wound infections, bleeding, and broken stitches.
• To prevent the scar from darkening, use sunscreen so it gradually lightens rather than darkens.

2. Activity and Exercise

• In the initial days of surgery (1 to 5 days), normal movement exercises and walking are recommended to improve blood circulation and reduce stiffness.
• Avoid lifting heavy, faster or sudden neck movements, and intense activities or sports like running, boxing, football, and more that affect the healing of surgery.

Recovery Process After Surgery

The recovery process of thyroid surgery takes time. Here are the comprehensive points of each stage of the surgery:

1. Immediate Post-Surgery

• You will be closely monitored in the recovery room. You may also have a temporary surgical drain under the neck incision.
• You will experience common symptoms like neck soreness, stiffness, and voice weakness.
• You need to eat soft food items that can be swallowed easily.

2. After 2 Days of Surgery

• Many patients are discharged from the hospital within 24 hours of monitoring, depending on the condition.
• You can do daily activities as normal as before, but avoid lifting, heaving, and performing activities that may affect your neck.
• The surgical area will be covered with a dressing that needs to be dry and clean.
• Surgeons will recommend some gentle neck exercises that include movements to prevent stiffness.

3. Weeks 2-4 of Surgery

• You can return to your after 2 weeks of surgery (only if you feel better).
• The incision scar may appear healed now, with only minor swelling. It will fade after 12 to 18 months, but only if you keep it protected from sunlight and apply moisturising lotion.
• Continue performing neck mobility exercises to help speed recovery.

4. Long-Term Management

• If the entire thyroid gland has been removed, immediately start taking the thyroid hormone replacement tablet to maintain metabolism.
• Keep getting regular blood tests to monitor hormones and calcium levels.
• Ensure to visit the doctor once a week to check the incision or recovery level.

When to Contact Your Doctor

Thyroidectomy is primarily helpful in treating thyroid-related problems, but in some cases, patients may experience complications even after surgery, requiring immediate evaluation by a specialist. Let’s discuss some of the complications that warrant a doctor’s visit:

• When you face issues in breathing or high-pitched breathing sounds
• The surgical part or wound is bleeding heavily with excessive swelling
• The raspy or hoarse voice lasts longer than weeks or months
• Facing a problem in swallowing for more than a week or a month
• Side effects from prescribed medications
• Pain is getting worse instead of getting better
• When redness increased on the incision

Conclusion

Thyroid surgery isn’t just a procedure to treat thyroid conditions; it is also a lifesaving process that removes cancerous tissues. During this surgery, you may feel some discomfort like a sore throat, stiff neck or difficulty in swallowing, but as the saying goes, ‘everything takes time’, so these complications will gradually subside with time and will result in a successful recovery.

To have a successful thyroid surgery, you need to consult with a specialised surgeon.