Do I need a comprehensive examination before thyroid cancer surgery?

In recent years, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased year by year, causing a lot of trouble for patients. Therefore, when we have abnormalities in our bodies, we should go to the hospital for examination and confirmation as soon as possible, which is also responsible for our own bodies. Many thyroid cancer patients wonder whether they need a comprehensive examination before thyroid cancer surgery? Let's find out.

Thyroid cancer is the most common thyroid malignancy, accounting for about 1% of all malignant tumors in the body. Except for medullary carcinoma, most thyroid cancers originate from follicular epithelial cells. Surgical treatment of thyroid cancer includes surgery on the thyroid itself and neck lymph node dissection. The minimum range of thyroid resection is lobe and isthmus resection, and the maximum range is total thyroid resection. The main examinations before surgery include:

1. Seven thyroid function tests: to understand whether there is hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, and to diagnose thyroid autoimmune diseases.

2. Parathyroid hormone: used to diagnose parathyroid lesions and assist doctors in making judgments on possible hypocalcemia symptoms after surgery.

3. Tracheal softening test: After the patient's enlarged thyroid gland is removed, the trachea may collapse due to loss of support, causing the patient to have difficulty breathing. Preoperative X-ray examination can assist the doctor in making a judgment.

4. Laryngoscopic examination of the vocal cords: Hoarseness and low voice may occur after thyroid surgery. Preoperative examination can rule out the possibility that it is caused by lesions of the vocal cords themselves.

5. B-ultrasound: It is the preferred method for diagnosing thyroid diseases. It can measure the size of the thyroid gland, identify the nature of thyroid tumors, understand the number of nodules, and at the same time find out whether the cervical lymph nodes are enlarged. Color B-ultrasound can also determine whether the lesion is benign or malignant based on the blood flow of the thyroid gland.

6. CT enhancement + three-dimensional reconstruction: This is an examination project that our hospital pioneered in China. In addition to displaying the morphological changes of the thyroid gland and identifying enlarged lymph nodes, good 3D imaging can also show the distribution and diameter of various thyroid blood vessels, and perform stereoscopic positioning of thyroid tumors, providing a reliable basis for doctors to formulate surgical plans.

7. Radionuclide static imaging: The thyroid gland is scanned after oral administration of 131 iodine, and the nature of the lesion is determined based on its different manifestations of "cold, cool, warm, or hot".

There are some routine preoperative examinations before thyroid cancer surgery, such as blood routine, blood biochemistry, coagulation function, hepatitis B, syphilis, AIDS, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, etc. Only with adequate preparation can our surgery have a higher success rate. Therefore, a comprehensive examination is required before thyroid cancer surgery, and I hope it will be helpful to you.