Newbie - Confused about hemithyroidectomy

[Willow2206]

Hi - I am scheduled for a left hemi-thyroidectomy on Wednesday. I have a 3cmx3cm cyst which appears to be benign but the FNA biopsy showed only cystic fluid which is an insufficient result. TFT were normal. The options for me were to repeat the FNA or have the hemi-thyroidectomy. I thought repeating the FNA may be a waste of time (couldn't get sufficient cells after 30 minutes trying, so probably wouldn't get them next time), but now I'm wondering if I may have everlasting side effects from the operation and why the surgeon can't just remove the cyst (without taking half of my thyroid). I know I should have asked the consultant this, but I was a bit shocked to be given the choice to make once in clinic at the consultation of Monday - I had been advised initially by letter that the consultant was going to "adopt a watchful wait strategy". Grateful for any advice you can give.

[cjrsquared]

The cyst is a fluid filled space within the thyroid tissue, it isn’t a self contained entity which can be dissected out, therefore the thyroid tissue which contains the cyst has to be removed. Most cysts are benign but there is a small risk that they can become malignant, they also normally increase in size overtime. This has to be balanced against the risk that you may become hypothyroid after a hemithyroidectomy requiring hormone replacement for life. It is also hard that your thyroid function is normal at present.

I suggest you phone the consultants secretary tomorrow and ask for a further appointment to discuss this further as you are unsure. Even in a worst case scenario ( ie malignancy), a short delay in treatment would not be significant.

[Willow2206 in reply to cjrsquared]

Thank you for your reply - I understand more now. I will go ahead with the operation as I am a natural (over) worrier so would rather have it out than torture myself thinking it was masking a malignant cancer.

[adam1850 in reply to cjrsquared]

I understand that thyroid cancer is very slow growing. I would never have any part of my thyroid dissected and then not sure even if I had cancer of the thyroid. I would go to the San Diego clinic in Mexico before I would ever have any kind of cancer treatment in the US or UK.

[lau666]

Hi Willow2206 I am in the same position as you- when are you due to have surgery? mine is 6-8 weeks time.

[adam1850]

I would never have my thyroid cut on I have cysts and nodules all over mine but they are neither hot nor cold that's what they measure whether you have cancer or not. You want to keep your thyroid because other issues develop when you don't have one or when they start cutting on it I think all this surgery has become pretty barbaric