Overview
Pediatric thyroid surgery is performed to treat thyroid conditions in children, including thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, and hyperthyroidism caused by toxic nodules or Graves’ disease. This surgery is generally recommended when the condition poses significant health risks, such as malignancy or hormone imbalances. The goal of pediatric thyroid surgery is to address the underlying issue while minimizing short and long term risks.
Procedure
During pediatric thyroid surgery, the surgeon usually makes an incision in the front of the neck to access the thyroid gland. Depending on the condition, a portion of the thyroid (partial thyroidectomy) or the entire gland (total thyroidectomy) is removed. The surrounding structures, including the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid glands, are carefully preserved to minimize complications. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and typically takes between one and three hours, depending on the complexity of the case.
One of the main advantages of coming to the Russell Center, in addition to Dr Russell's experience at thyroid surgery in general, is the potential to discuss scarless surgical alternatives. There is no surgeon in the United States who has done more pediatric transoral thyroid surgeries than Dr Russell. While your child might not care about avoiding a scar, you deserve to discuss all treatment options, including scarless surgery and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
Benefits and Risks
The main benefit of pediatric thyroid surgery is the resolution of thyroid conditions that could lead to serious health issues, such as cancer, hormone imbalances, or other complications. Preserving thyroid function when possible reduces the need for lifelong hormone replacement therapy. However, like all surgeries, there are risks involved, including potential damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which can affect voice function, and the parathyroid glands, which regulate calcium levels. Your surgeon will discuss these risks in detail to ensure you are fully informed before the procedure.
Recovery and Follow-Up
Recovery from pediatric thyroid surgery is generally quick, with most children resuming normal activities within one to two weeks. Some pain, swelling, and discomfort at the incision site are common and can be managed with pain medications. Regular follow-up appointments are crucial to monitor thyroid hormone levels and ensure proper recovery. In cases where the entire thyroid gland is removed, children will require lifelong thyroid hormone replacement therapy to maintain normal metabolic function.
How to Pick a Pediatric Thyroid Surgeon
Choosing a thyroid surgeon for your child is stressful. Parents often don't know if it is better to choose an adult surgeon with more thyroid experience or a dedicated pediatric surgeon or otolaryngologist. In general, there are no pediatric surgeons who do more than 50 thyroid surgeries each year. On the other hand, Dr Russell did more than 50 thyroid surgeries in a month while at Johns Hopkins. Having an experienced pediatric thyroid surgeon has been associated with a lower complication rate in every series. In addition to a lower complication rate, Dr Russell is one of the only surgeons in the world who also offers scarless transoral thyroid surgery to pediatric patients. At the Russell Center, we take the time to understand family goals of care and then offer the most advanced and experienced treatment available to all of our patients.
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