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(630) 938-6161
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25 N Winfield Rd Ste 505, Winfield, IL 60190-1295

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Call
(630) 938-6161
to Schedule a Consultation

25 N Winfield Rd Ste 505
Winfield IL 60190-1295

Thyroid Surgery

Central Neck Dissection

General Information FAQ POST Surgery Risks Revisions How Do I Schedule Surgery
Thyroid Cancer Risk Factors

General Information

All of the lymph nodes in the central neck compartment (also referred to as levels VI and VII lymph nodes of the neck).

  • The central neck compartment involves the tissue immediately surrounding the thyroid gland.
    • Superior (upper) border is the hyoid bone.
    • Inferior (lower) border is the innominate artery.
    • Lateral border is the carotid artery.
    • Medial border is the midline trachea (windpipe).
    • The deep border is the esophagus and spine.
  • There are right and left central neck compartments, divided by the midline of the neck / trachea.
    • When thyroid cancer spreads to lymph nodes, it typically does not cross midline, therefore only the side that has the thyroid cancer is removed.
      • It is possible for cancer to be on both sides of the thyroid and spread to both central neck compartments, therefore it is always important to rule out that cancer is not also present in the opposite lobe (side) of the thyroid prior to surgery.

Image Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

A comprehensive central neck dissection involves removing all the inessential tissue within this compartment, leaving only the trachea, esophagus, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles behind.

  • The analogy is made of removing berries (cancerous lymph nodes) from a tree or bush.
    • If you try to pick just only the berries (remove only the cancerous lymph nodes) there is an increased risk to leave berries (cancer) behind.
    • If you systematically strip the branches of all their leaves and berries, you are far less likely to leave cancer behind.

Four main reasons:

  • The thyroid cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in this neck compartment, confirmed by biopsy prior to surgery or biopsy during surgery.
  • The thyroid cancer has directly invaded a nearby structure (most commonly the muscles overlying the thyroid – strap muscles), indicating that it is a more aggressive behaving cancer and more likely to have spread to the lymph nodes in the central neck compartment.
  • The thyroid cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the lateral neck compartment.
    • 99% of the time cancer first spreads to the central neck lymph nodes, so it always assumed that the central neck lymph nodes are also involved if the lateral neck lymph nodes have biopsy proven spread of cancer.
  • Guidelines for some aggressive forms of thyroid cancer (such as Medullary Thyroid Cancer), recommend prophylactic central neck dissections even if spread to these lymph nodes has not been proven with biopsy.

This is typically performed at the same time as a total thyroidectomy or if the cancer has persisted / returned following initial thyroidectomy (see ‘revision surgery’ section).

Central Neck Dissection

Frequently Asked Questions

The surgery is performed under general anesthesia in the operating room.

  • General anesthesia involves receiving medication through an IV which causes you to go completely asleep, then a breathing tube is placed through your mouth and down your windpipe to help you breathe while you are asleep.
    • A special type of breathing tube is used to help monitor the recurrent laryngeal nerve (controls voice and swallowing).
    • The breathing tube is removed before you wake up.

An incision is made low in the midline neck, in a natural horizontal crease of the skin.

  • If no natural crease is present, the incision is made in the natural hallow of the neck along the shirt collar line.

If a previous incision is present, the same incision came be used.

The procedure can be performed through the same incision as the thyroidectomy.

  • It typically does not need to be made any longer.
  • The incision may need to be longer if the patient has a larger neck requiring a deeper and more challenging dissection.

For a single sided central neck dissection, surgery takes about 20-30 minutes.

For both sides, it can take 45 – 60 minutes.

  • If being performed at the same time of a thyroidectomy, these surgical times are added to the time needed to perform a thyroidectomy (total thyroidectomy 1.5 – 2 hours).

So long as there are no pain or nausea issues in the recovery area, most surgeries can be done as an ‘outpatient’ where you go home the same day.

  • Exceptions include patients with significant health conditions, high risk for bleeding following surgery, live > 1 hour from the hospital, no one at home to help take care of the patient the first night after the surgery, or history of severe nausea following surgery.

It is not safe for you to drive home following general anesthesia.

Therefore, you should arrange for a ride to and from the hospital.

  • If you live alone, you should arrange for someone to stay with you the first night of your surgery due to the effects of anesthesia.
  • If you cannot arrange a ride to and from the hospital and/or someone to be with you the night of the surgery, you will need to spend the night in the hospital.

Typically the entire day lasts ~ 5 – 6.5 hours.

  • Arrive 2 hours prior to surgery.
  • Length of surgery plus time to put you to sleep and wake you up, ~ 1.0 hour if central neck dissection alone, 2.5 hours if performed with a total thyroidectomy.
  • 2 hours recovering.

1 hour after surgery, you are transferred to your hospital room where your family and/or friends can see you.

The nursing staff takes care of you overnight.

Dr. Kay and his team see you the following morning and you are usually ready to be discharged home by 10:00 am provided your recovery is going as expected.

If for any unexpected reason you need to spend the night, your insurance company will pay for a 23-hour observation period at no extra cost to you.

  • This is included in the pre-authorization approval for the surgery.

A drain is a small rubber tube placed in the neck connected to a suction bulb.

  • It sucks out any fluid or blood that can develop following surgery and helps the empty space (void) in the neck created by removing the thyroid seal down on itself.

Most surgeries do not need a drain placement.

Exceptions to this include:

  • Removing large nodules or goiters can leave a very large empty space (void) which is at increased risk for filling with fluid (seroma) that can be uncomfortable and possibly lead to an infection.
  • Increased risk for bleeding based on the need from blood thinners that could not be stopped before or after surgery (for 5 days).
  • Obese patients with increased risks for developing a seroma.

If you receive a drain, you can go home with it and Dr. Kay’s office will arrange for an appointment to have this removed in the office 1-2 days following surgery.

  • The drain can get wet in the shower.
  • The nursing staff will show you how to take care of the drain before you leave the hospital.
  • You will be instructed to record how much fluid is coming out of the drain and bring this with you to your appointment.

If you spend the night in the hospital, on most occasions the drain can be removed the following day before you are discharged home.

Dr. Kay calls you with the pathology report 2-3 business days following the surgery.

When you schedule surgery, a post-operative appointment will also be scheduled for you ~ 6 weeks following your surgery.

You need a physical performed by your primary care provider to clear you prior to surgery.

If you see a sub-specialist for a significant medical issue like a cardiologist or pulmonologist, Dr. Kay will ask you to be cleared by this specialist as well.

If you are on a blood thinner, Dr. Kay will ask you to get permission to stop this blood thinner for the appropriate amount of time before surgery (varies by medication type) and for 5 days following surgery as well.

  • If you are unable to come off the blood thinner, you will likely need to have a drain placed and stay the night in the hospital (see above).

What to Expect Following Surgery

You can expect to experience pain and swelling around the incision lasting up to 1 week.

  • Mild bruising may also be expected which will resolve over the course of 1 – 2 weeks. This bruising may travel down the front of the chest due to gravity before it fully resolves.

You can also expect to experience a sore throat and hoarse voice lasting up to 1 week.

  • There are no voice restrictions during this period.

Everyone experiences pain in different ways and has different pain thresholds, therefore your experience may differ to some extent.

For 24 hours: Limit your activity for the first 24 hours following surgery and get plenty of rest as you recover from general anesthesia.

For 1 week: No heavy lifting or pushing (> 10lbs), active sports (e.g., running or jumping), strenuous exercise, heavy household work, or any activities that elevate your heart rate or blood pressure in order to reduce the risk of bleeding in your neck. Objects that cannot be lifted with one hand are considered too heavy.

  • You may walk at a normal pace and do light household activities during the first week.

There are no activity restrictions after 1 week.

In general, you may plan to return to work in 1 week, 2 weeks if your job requires manual labor, or as otherwise instructed.

Due to the sore throat caused by the breathing tube and surgical dissection, we recommend starting with liquids and soft foods.

You may progress to solid foods (your normal diet) as tolerated; this may take 1 – 3 days.

There are no restrictions in the positioning of your head and neck following surgery. You may relax and sleep in whatever position that is comfortable for you.

  • No need to sleep with your head elevated.

It is not uncommon for your sleep cycle to be affected by general anesthesia. Do your best to resume normal sleep patterns and avoid excessive daytime napping following the initial 24-hour rest period.

You can drive once you are off the strong (prescription) pain medication and when you can turn your head / neck to check your blind spots without hesitating. This may take 1-3 days.

Your incision was closed in two layers:

  • Deep stitches which will dissolve on their own over the course of 8 – 10 weeks.
  • A superficial layer of blue skin glue and strips of white bandages (steri-strips) embedded in the glue.

You may bathe or shower as soon as you like after surgery.

  • It is ok to allow soap and water to run over the bandage.
  • Do not submerge under water for extended periods of time (> 1 min).
  • Do not scrub the incision; pat it gently dry with a towel afterwards.

If the glue and bandage is still present 2 weeks after surgery, you may peel off the bandage (Steri-Strip) and the rest of the glue.

  • It is ok if the bandage comes off before two weeks. No need to cover the incision.
  • If the white bandages start to curl off the skin before two weeks, you may carefully use scissors to trim the curled edges.

After the bandage comes off, you may notice several small bumps under the skin along your incision line and the incision line may appear raised.

  • The bumps are the deep stitches that have yet to dissolve (this can take up to 8 – 10 weeks). They will dissolve with time and massages (see below) and the incision will eventually heal flat.
  • If there are any concerns with the appearance of your incision once the bandage comes off, please take a picture and send it to Dr. Kay via MyChart messaging.

As your incision heals, it is not uncommon to experience sensations of tingling, burning, itching, or pinching / shooting pains.

  • These sensations are completely normal and indicate appropriate healing of the sensation nerve fibers in your neck.
  • These sensations will resolve over the course of several weeks to several months.

Once the bandage is off, please purchase over the counter Vitamin E oil from a pharmacy or supermarket (Vitamin E oil capsule which can be broken open are an acceptable alternative).

  • Use the oil to massage your wound with the pads of your fingers, using a slow circular motion, as deep as you can tolerate.
  • Perform this twice per day for 5 minutes at a time, for 1 month. You may massage more frequently or for longer periods.
  • You may also use different kinds of scar ointments / creams such as Mederma, Biocorneum, etc. or silicone strips.
    • The important thing is that you do the massages as instructed above.
  • Once the bandage is off, please keep your incision out of direct sunshine for the first 3 months after surgery (using shade, a scarf, and/or sunscreen with SUV 30 or higher with both UVA and UVB protection) in order to prevent discoloration of the scar.

Thyroid hormone replacement medication (Levothyroxine):

If your entire thyroid was removed during the same surgery, you will be prescribed Levothyroxine (a once daily, lifelong thyroid hormone replacement). The dose of this medication was estimated on your weight.

  • Based on future lab work and/or subjective symptoms, gradual adjustments may be needed to find your perfect dose.
  • This can sometimes take several months and the assistance of an Endocrinologist.

This medication should be taken on an empty stomach and 30 min before taking any other medications, eating food, or drinking (even coffee or tea), otherwise the absorption of the medication will be compromised.

  • Please wait 1 hour prior to taking any calcium supplements.

Pain control:

Ice compresses can help to treat swelling and pain around the incision. Apply for 10 min at a time. You can repeat every 30 minutes as needed.

Sore throat lozenges (particularly those with the active ingredient ‘Benzocaine’ such as found in Cepacol lozenges) will help to treat the discomfort deep in your throat.

Drinking fluids frequently will help the small scratches inside the throat caused by the breathing tube to heal more quickly and also relieve your pain faster.

Over the counter Tylenol (acetaminophen) can be taken every 6 hours as needed for pain relief, up to 1,000 mg each dose, do not exceed 4,000 mg total in 24 hours. Do not take 3,000 mg total per day for > 3 consecutive days.

Over the counter NSAID’s (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs)

  • Ibuprofen, Motrin, or Advil can be taken every 6 hours as needed for pain relief, up to 400 mg each dose, do not exceed 1,600 mg total in 24 hours. Do not take more than 1,200 mg total per day for > 3 consecutive days.

OR

  • Aleve (naproxen) can be taken every 12 hours as needed for pain relief, up to 550 mg each dose, do not exceed 1,100 mg total in 24 hours. Do not take 1,100 mg total per day for > 3 consecutive days.
  • These NSAID’s can be alternated with Tylenol as in the below examples:
    • 500 – 1,000 mg of Tylenol every 6 hours, alternating and staggering with Ibuprofen 200 – 400 mg every 6 hours (essentially taking pain medication every 3 hours as needed).
    • 500 – 1,000 mg of Tylenol every 6 hours, alternating and staggering with Aleve 225 – 550 mg every 12 hours.

In situations when the above pain control regimen does not control your pain symptoms adequately, you were prescribed 5 tablets of a low dose narcotic medication (either Tramadol or Hydrocodone / Acetaminophen).

  • You can take 1-2 tablets of this every 6 hours as needed for pain control.
  • If required, these prescription pain medications are not usually needed for more than 24 hours after surgery.
  • If you were prescribed Hydrocodone / Acetaminophen, please do not take any additional Tylenol or Acetaminophen at the same time.
  • These medications may cause you to be drowsy. Do not drive / operate heavy machinery, drink alcohol, or take any other sedating medications while using the prescription narcotic pain medication.

Calcium

Even if all four of the parathyroid glands (which control calcium levels in the body) were successfully preserved during surgery, they can be temporarily stunned and this can result in temporary low calcium levels.

To prevent against this, please take ~ 1,000 mg of an over-the-counter calcium supplement three times per day for 1 week, then twice per day for 1 week, then once per day for 1 week, then discontinue.

  • IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU START THE CALCIUM ON THE DAY OF YOUR SURGERY AND TO DO YOUR BEST TO GET ALL THREE DOSES IN ONCE YOU ARE HOME.
  • Most calcium supplements are large pills which may be painful to swallow following surgery. For this reason, we recommend purchasing a chewable calcium supplement in a gummy form or TUMS (which has calcium in it).
  • Dosage of calcium supplements vary; it is ok if you take more than 1,000 mg per dose based on the calcium supplement you purchased.

Please watch out for symptoms of low calcium which include numbness and tingling in the lips / fingertips or cramping in the hands / feet (if this occurs, it will usually happen ~ 36-48 hours following surgery).

  • If you experience any of these symptoms, please start taking 1,000 mg of calcium every 30 minutes and let Dr. Kay know. He will provide you with further instructions moving forward.

Vitamin D

If you were instructed to take an over the counter or prescription Vitamin D supplement before surgery, please continue taking this until your follow-up appointment with Dr. Kay.

Anti-Nausea Medication

If you are discharged home on the same day of surgery, you will be given an antinausea prescription called Zofran (ondansetron). This comes in a tablet form that dissolves underneath your tongue.

You can use this as needed if you are experiencing nausea. Please have a low threshold to use this in order to prevent vomiting (which can increase the risk of bleeding in your neck).

Stool Softener

You will receive narcotics as part of your general anesthesia on the day of surgery and you may also take a prescription narcotic pain medication following surgery. These narcotic medications can cause constipation.

In order to prevent this, you may consider purchasing an over-the-counter stool softener (such as docusate or senna) and take for 24-48 hours following surgery as directed on the package (especially if you are prone to constipation).

  • If you remain constipated for > 48 hours after surgery despite the use of a stool softener, you may purchase a bottle of over-the-counter magnesium citrate and take as directed. If your constipation persists despite this, please contact the office for further instructions.

Prior Medications

You should resume taking all other medications the day after surgery, unless instructed otherwise by your primary care provider.

Blood Thinning Medications

If you were on any blood thinners (Plavix, Coumadin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Aspirin, etc.) prior to surgery, please do no restart the medication until 5 days after your surgery to limit the risk of bleeding, unless instructed otherwise.

Due to the effects of the breathing tube being placed during surgery, you may experience thick mucus in your throat for 24-48 hours. It is ok to gently clear your throat and cough to clear this mucous.

If the sensation of mucous in your throat persists for > 48 hours, it is usually not because there is still mucous there. At this point, persistent inflammation and sensitivity of the vocal cords caused by the breathing tube can mimic the sensation of mucous and is best treated by drinking plenty of liquids, using over the counter throat lozenges with the active ingredient ‘Benzocaine’ such as found in Cepacol lozenges, and avoiding further throat clearing / coughing.

  • Clearing your throat / coughing may cause your throat symptoms to worsen or persist, similar to scratching a mosquito bite.

Swelling beneath or near your incision site, particularly if it is visibly noticeable and/or causing pressure in the neck.

  • Please call the office at 630.938.6161 and if possible, send a picture of your incision (one from directly in front of you and one from the side) via MyChart messaging.

If you notice rapid and progressive swelling in your neck, or bleeding from your incision, please call 911 as this could represent a hematoma, or active bleeding in the neck, and this is a medical emergency.

If you notice redness and itching around the bandage, especially if starting 24-48 hours after surgery, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to the skin glue or the white steri-strip bandages.

  • For this you can try taking over the counter Benadryl as directed on the package. If the symptoms do not resolve, please call the office at 630.938.6161 for further instructions as the bandage and glue may need to be removed.

Please record your drain output twice daily.

OK to get the drain wet in the shower.

Dr. Kay’s office will call to arrange drain removal 1-2 days following your surgery.

  • If the drain output is > 50 cc or ml in a 24-hour period, please call the office at 630.938.6161 before coming to your appointment. In this scenario, the drain may need to stay in place longer.

When surgery is scheduled, an appointment should have been made for you to follow-up ~ 6 weeks after surgery.

Central Neck Dissection

Image Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Risk of injury to the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve

This nerve travels just behind the thyroid gland and enters the larynx (voice box) very close to where the thyroid gland attaches to the trachea (windpipe).

This nerve controls the movement of the vocal cord on that side, helping to produce your voice and assist in swallowing.

  • There is a 5% chance that this nerve is overmanipulated, stretched, or overheated by an instrument during surgery resulting in a temporary weak and hoarse voice that could last several days, sometimes up to 9 months.
  • There is a 1% chance that the nerve is severely injured and never recovers or cut (either accidentally or to remove cancer that is wrapping around the nerve). This could result in a permanently weak and hoarse voice.
    • Young and healthy patients can sometimes learn to compensate with the other vocal cord (with or without the help of a speech therapist) to the point where they are happy with their voice.
    • Otherwise, a second surgery can be performed (called a thyroplasty) to bring the voice back to very close to normal: conversational voice is typically the same, but singing and yelling will always be off.
  • If both nerves are injured during the surgery (this is only a risk if right and left central neck dissections are being performed), it could cause significant difficulty breathing and the need for a tracheotomy tube (temporary or permanent) in the neck to save the patient’s life.
    • With the use of a special breathing tube during the surgery that allows the surgeon to monitor the function of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, the risk of a tracheotomy tube can be completely removed.
    • After one side of the central neck dissection is completed, the nerve on that side is stimulated and if it responds appropriately indicating the nerve is still working, it is safe to proceed to the other side of the central neck dissection.
      • If the nerve does not stimulate, only one side of the central neck dissection will be performed, and the surgery will be stop there. The patient is then woken up and a second stage surgery will be performed at a later date once the recurrent laryngeal nerve has recovered function.
        • While a two-stage surgery is not ideal, it is much better than putting the patient at risk of needing a tracheotomy tube.
        • The only exception to this would be if the nerve needs to be sacrificed (cut) in order to remove a very aggressive cancer wrapping around the nerve.
          • In this scenario, the risk of a tracheotomy tube is outweighed by the benefit of performing the best surgery possible to obtain a cure of an aggressive cancer.
Central Neck Dissection

Risk to the Parathyroid Glands

The parathyroid glands are small rice grain sized glands that control calcium levels in the body.

They sit on the surface of the thyroid and should be identified and preserved during thyroid surgery.

  • Sometimes they are accidentally removed (because they are so small) or injured when being manipulated (because they are very delicate).
    • You only need one parathyroid gland to control calcium levels in the body.
    • If all four parathyroid glands are injured and/or accidentally removed, it could result in permanently (~ 5%) low calcium levels (hypocalcemia) requiring calcium and Vitamin D supplements 2-3 times per day, every day for the rest of the patient’s life.
    • Even if all four parathyroid glands are preserved during surgery, they can be temporarily stunned and the patient can be at risk for developing temporary low calcium requiring calcium supplements.
      • For this reason, patients are routinely started on calcium supplements for a 3-week period following surgery (see details in ‘What to Expect Following Surgery’ above).
Key Factors to Consider

Elevated Risks in Thyroid Surgery

  • When Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Grave’s disease are present.
  • Aggressive cancers are suspected based on pre-operative imaging or biopsy / molecular analysis results.
  • In morbidly obese patients.
  • With revision surgery (when prior surgery has been performed in the front of the neck – for the thyroid or parathyroid, anterior cervical spine surgery, or previous tracheotomy).
  • With large goiters or substernal goiters (extension down into the chest).

For all types of thyroid surgery, surgical outcomes / cure rates are the highest and complication rates are the lowest when surgery is performed by a high-volume surgeon
(> 50 thyroidectomy surgeries per year).

Central Neck Dissection

What are the risks for all surgeries

Pain following surgery typically lasts up to 5-7 days and is usually tolerated with little to no narcotic use (see more information in the ‘What to Expect Following Surgery’ section).

There is very low risk (~1 %) for infection following hemithyroidectomy.

Antibiotics are given to you during surgery, but none are routinely used following surgery.

  • Signs of infection include redness and swelling near the incision, worsening pain, and fever.

There is a 1% chance of significant bleeding following surgery.

Signs of bleeding include significant swelling in the front of the neck, similar to the appearance of a bullfrog.

Sometimes this bleeding stops on its own, other times it does not and it can be life threatening requiring urgent surgery to stop the bleeding.

  • This is why activity levels are restricted for 1 week following surgery (see more in the ‘What to Expect Following Surgery’ section.

Risks for bleeding are higher when a patient cannot be taken off their blood thinners completely.

  • In this scenario the patient will be watched closely overnight in the hospital and a drain will be placed to limit this risk.

You are required to be cleared by your primary care provider prior to surgery and any other sub-specialty providers who provide care for important medical conditions.

  • In general, the risks of anesthesia are higher with age and presence of significant medical conditions.
  • Your anesthesiologist will discuss these risks with you in detail on the day of your surgery.

The incision is made as small as possible (based on thyroid lobe size and the patient’s anatomy) and attempted to be hidden in a natural skin crease (if present) or hollow of the neck.

Ultimately it is up to how your body heals (based on previous incisions or scar).

Typically, incisions in the neck heal very nicely.

If there is a history of keloid formation, a steroid called Kenalog may be injected into the skin at the time of surgery to lower the risk of keloid formation as best as possible.

Central Neck Dissection

Revision Surgery

When a previous thyroidectomy and / or central neck dissection was performed in the past, a central neck dissection that is then performed at a later date is considered revision surgery.

Revision central neck dissection presents unique risks:

Scar tissue will be present from the prior surgery which complicates the surgical dissection and increases the risk of injury to nearby important structures.

  • The risk to injuring the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve controlling your voice and swallowing is roughly doubled:
    • 10% (from normally 5%) for temporary weak and hoarse voice lasting days, sometimes up to 9 months.
    • 2% (from normally 1%) for permanently weak and hoarse voice.

There could have been injuries to nearby structures during the previous surgery.

  • If the recurrent laryngeal nerve was permanently damaged on one side during the previous surgery, injury the other recurrent laryngeal nerve during a completion thyroidectomy could result in significant difficulty breathing and the need for a tracheotomy tube (temporary or permanent) in the neck to save the patient’s life.
    • Therefore, even if the patient’s voice sounds normal following the first surgery, a flexible laryngoscopy (fiberoptic camera exam to evaluate the vocal cords) is essential to perform before a completion thyroidectomy to ensure that there is no permanent vocal cord paralysis from the first surgery.
    • If vocal cord paralysis is discovered, the decision to perform a revision central neck dissection on the opposite side must be made very carefully between the patient and surgeon, understanding the very real risk of requiring a tracheotomy tube.

During the previous surgery, parathyroid glands may have been accidentally removed (sometimes noted in the pathology report), and/or damaged.

  • This means that there may be fewer functioning parathyroid glands present, and the risk for damaging or removing all remaining parathyroid glands resulting in permanently low calcium levels is much higher than a typical central neck dissection.
    • The risk for permanently low calcium for a standard central neck dissection is ~5%, but for revision surgery it is roughly doubled to 10%.

To learn more about all Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgeries click here.

To learn more about the Thyroid return to the Thyroid home page here.

To learn more about the Parathyroid return to the Parathyroid main page here.

How Do I Schedule Surgery?

You can call 630.938.6161 and ask to speak to the surgery scheduler
to find a date that works well for you and Dr. Kay.

Call (630) 938-6161 to schedule