Thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, just below the Adam’s apple, and it produces hormones that regulate metabolism and other bodily functions.

Thyroidectomy is usually performed to treat thyroid cancer, an enlarged thyroid gland (known as a goiter), or an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) that is not responsive to other treatments. The procedure may involve removing the entire thyroid gland (total thyroidectomy) or just a portion of it (partial thyroidectomy).

Thyroidectomy is typically performed under general anesthesia and may require a hospital stay of a few days. After the surgery, patients may need to take thyroid hormone replacement medication to compensate for the loss of the gland and to prevent hypothyroidism.