None — THE THYROID: The thyroid gland, or simply the thyroid, is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body. The thyroid is found in the neck. It controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and moderates how sensitive the body should be to other hormones that regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body. According to eMedicine, the most common problems of the thyroid gland that result in surgery consist of an overactive thyroid gland (referred to as "hyperthyroidism") and an underactive thyroid gland (referred to as "hypothyroidism"). Thyroid diseases are among the most common disorders of the endocrine system, affecting almost 13 million Americans, according to the American Thyroid Association. A needle biopsy is performed before surgery to determine whether a nodule is cancerous and whether the patient needs surgery. Thyroid nodules are up to six-times more common in women than men.
I, ROBOT: Some surgeons are now performing thyroid and neck surgery with robotic assistance, placing the incision in the underarm area, rather than the neck. This is commonly referred to as "transaxillary robotic" surgery. The FDA approved this procedure in 2009, and a handful of medical centers are currently using advanced robotics for a thyroidectomy. There is a cosmetic benefit of having the only scar in the underarm area. The underarm area also has fewer nerve endings per square inch than the throat area, so healing is less painful, and with good care, the incision will heal faster than in the neck area.
THE "FACELIFT" APPROACH: David Terris, M.D., from the Medical College of Georgia, performs thyroid surgery a little differently. Instead of entering through the neck or the underarm, he makes his entry point behind the ear. "It shortens the distance we have to travel to get to the thyroid gland and reduced the amount of dissection required to get there," Dr. Terris told Ivanhoe. This approach is similar to the incision used for a facelift. It results in less pain, fewer complications, and a scar that patients can hide under their favorite hairstyle. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and takes about two hours.
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