Hi, everybody:

I would like to know in which cases a person with hypothyroidism has to have surgery.

In the endocrinologist's waiting room, I met a woman with hypothyroidism. She told me her doctor wanted to remove her thyroid but she refused, screaming and crying in front of her doctor. She wanted to take medications, which her doctor finally agreed to. So why did he offer to remove her thyroid if she could simply take medications?

When I was hospitalized for my knee surgeries, I was always in a shared room, often with women who had thyroid surgery. Part of or all of their thyroid was removed. I do not know if they had hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or thyroid cancer. (I have thyroid RSD , according to two RSD specialists) I just wish this RSD would leave my organs alone! I am sick and tired of this RSD! It attacks every organ that is on its way.

Thanks for your information.

People get thyroid surgery if they have uncontrolled Graves disease (hyper),
or confirmed cancer thru biopsy
or if they have nodules that are considered precancerous or too large and pressing on nerves.

Some very large goiters are removed, but that is less common today.

The vast majority of hypo people just are managed medically with hormone replacement.

MrsD, thanks for your information and for reassuring me. I really appreciate it.

In my 19 yo daughter's case, she was frightened by the "might be cancer" that the doctors told her about her nodules. She had HALF of her thyroid removed and there was NO cancer. She does have Hashimotos and is hypothyroid, tho.

(Comes to find out she is also gluten intolerant, has poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, epstein-barr virus (mono), is gluten intolerant and has many food allergies: beef, chicken, turkey, etc. She is now 26 and desperately trying to heal)

I had MY muti-nodular goiter checked, ultra-sound, uptake scan, biopsy and was told "might be cancer." That was in 2006. I began eating organic, lo-glycemic, gluten free, lots of veggies, free range protein, etc and lots of Iodine in 2010. Can barely see the teeeny tiny bump in front of my throat.

I said no to surgery. ( Years before, I had a small melanoma removed, then a wide excision that my surgeon insisted...went to a specialist and he said "oh, we don't do wide excisions for level 2 melanoma. they got it all with the first biopsy")

Good luck and good health to you!!