What can I expect after thyroidectomy?

Most people can go home the next day after surgery and occasionally people may need to stay for an extra day to allow for monitoring of calcium blood levels.

Post-surgery, many people experience neck stiffness due to the positioning during surgery. This can be alleviated with neck exercises. Most people can return to normal activities within 1-2 weeks, depending on their recovery.

If your whole thyroid is removed, you will be started on thyroid hormone tablets (also called thyroxine) the day after surgery. If half your thyroid is removed, around 1 in 5 people will need thyroid tablets after surgery, and thyroid hormone blood tests will be checked at least six weeks after surgery.

Generally, you will see your surgeon for a review of your wound 2-3 weeks after surgery, during which the results of your thyroid tests will also be discussed. If you are having surgery for thyroid cancer, you may be referred to an endocrinologist to discuss further treatments or monitoring.

After this check, most people will have blood tests performed 6-8 weeks after surgery to monitor thyroid function.