Small strips of tape Steri-strips will cover your surgical incision. However, you will not be able to see them because gauze and medical tape will cover the entire area. Your surgical site may or may not have a small drainage tube coming from it. Your nurses will be responsible for your incision prior to your discharge, but you can do your part by keeping your head in a neutral position looking straight in front of you, not up or down as much as possible.
This will help you keep from putting extra tension on the incision, and will help minimize pain. While some thyroid surgeries are done on an outpatient basis no overnight stay , most patients will spend the night in the hospital. You will be responsible for caring for your surgical wound once you are discharged. In most cases, you will be able to shower as soon as you get home, so it is important to properly care for your bandages and incision.
When you do shower no bathing , try to keep your neck as dry as possible, and make sure to carefully dab not rub the towel on the area to dry it afterwards. For extra protection, many people find it helpful to cover the wound with a piece of sterile gauze and Hy-Tape while showering.
Hy-Tape is waterproof and it removes easily and cleanly, so it is ideal for this purpose. Choose a size that completely covers the wound. Likewise, Hy-Tape comes in convenient, precut strips.
At this appointment, you will have a postsurgical evaluation and the doctor will remove any Steri-Strips and stitches that remain. You can continue to shower during this week, but do not take a bath, use a hot tub, or fully submerge your neck in water.
You may keep using the same showering method described above. Over time, your Steri-Strips will start to fall off as the glue weakens. These will help prevent any permanent stiffness. Be sure to follow your physical therapist's instructions. If you continue to have problems with pain or stiffness, contact your doctor. While your neck is stiff and sore, you may need to eat foods that are soft and easy to swallow. Make sure you eat slowly and have plenty to drink during and after meals to soften your food and prevent blockages.
It may help to use a blender to process solid foods. You will need to visit your doctor or surgeon a few times after your surgery to check on hormone levels and healing. At these visits, you will receive advice on how soon you can return to your daily activities. People who have a total thyroidectomy and most people who have a subtotal thyroidectomy will need to take thyroid replacement drugs thyroxine for the rest of their lives.
The hormone replacement tablets are small and easy to take. Your doctor will check your hormone levels on a regular basis and adjust the dose of thyroxine until it is right for you. Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information. Your browser is out of date With an updated browser, you will have a better Medtronic website experience. Toggle navigation Life After Thyroid Surgery. In addition, the scar may become pink and hard.
This hardening will peak at about 3 weeks and may result in some tightness or difficulty swallowing, which will disappear over the next 2 to 3 months. Firm massaging of the scar starting 2 weeks after surgery will help prevent this. If you were taking thyroid hormone tablets before your operation, continue with the same dose, unless your surgeon changes your dose.
If you were not taking thyroid hormone prior to your operation, your internist or endocrinologist will prescribe these tablets following surgery. During your postoperative visit, you may have a blood test to measure your levels of thyroid hormone and your dose of medication may be adjusted accordingly. Your thyroid hormone levels will then be measured about every 2 months until your hormone levels are stable levels generally stabilize in 4 to 5 months. Those patients who undergo a hemi-thyroidectomy removal of half of the thyroid , will need to have thyroid blood tests done one month after surgery to make sure the remaining half is producing enough hormone.
The main complaint following thyroid surgery is sore throat and pain with swallowing. This pain can persist for 3 to 4 days. Tylenol can generally control this pain. Some people prefer Vicodin, but usually strong medications are not necessary. Your voice may go through some temporary changes with fluctuations in volume and clarity hoarseness. This can last for variable periods of time, but should clear in weeks.
Because your operation was done under general anesthesia, you may feel like you have phlegm in your throat. This is usually because there was a tube in your windpipe while you were asleep that caused irritation that you perceive as phlegm. You will notice that if you cough, very little phlegm will come up. This should clear up in 4 to 5 days.
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