Thyroidectomy - Steps

Steps

Main steps of Thyroidectomy:

  1. Horizontal anterior neck incision (if possible, within a skin crease)
  2. Create upper and lower flaps between the platysma and strap muscles
  3. Divide vertically between the strap muscles and anterior jugular veins
  4. Separate the strap muscles from the thyroid gland
  5. Divide the middle thyroid vein
  6. Mobilize the superior pole of the thyroid lobe. Divide the superior thyroid artery and vein close to the thyroid gland (avoid injury to the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve and the superior parathyroid gland)
  7. Identify the recurrent laryngeal nerve whenever possible using the nerve monitoring device
  8. Identify the inferior parathyroid artery
  9. Divide the inferior thyroid artery and vein
  10. Separate the thyroid lobe and isthmus from the trachea
  11. Repeat this process for the other thyroid lobe. Remove the thyroid gland
  12. Reapproximate the strap muscles
  13. Reapproximate the platysma muscle
  14. Close the skin with a subcuticular stitch

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