Breast Cancer & Reconstructions Surgery

Thyroid Surgery

Thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck. It produces hormones that control every aspect of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories.. Thyroidectomy is used to treat thyroid disorders, such as cancer, noncancerous enlargement of the thyroid (goiter) and overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).

Parotid Surgery

For many people with parotid gland tumors, surgery performed by a head and neck surgeon is the main treatment. This operation is called a parotidectomy. The parotid gland consists of two lobes: the superficial lobe and the deep lobe. Surgery to remove a tumor in the superficial lobe is called a superficial parotidectomy. Surgery to remove a tumor in the deep lobe — or in both the deep and superficial lobes — is called a total parotidectomy. The two lobes are separated by the facial nerve. Treating parotid gland tumors requires great precision on the part of your surgical team because the facial nerve is nearby. The facial nerve controls your ability to close your eyes, raise your eyebrows, and smile.

Neck Dissections

Neck dissection is a major surgery done to remove lymph nodes that contain cancer. It is done in the hospital. Before surgery, you will receive general anesthesia. This will make you sleep and unable to feel pain. Neck cancers most commonly metastasize to the cervical nodal basins. As a result, removal of the cervical lymph nodes is the standard of care for many head and neck cancers. This activity reviews the indications and procedural steps for radical neck dissection and briefly discusses other variants of the neck dissection for head and neck cancer. This activity highlight the role of the healthcare team in managing patients with head and neck cancer.