Dr. Thiyagarajan. T
Diabetology
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My wife underwent a hemithyroidectomy four weeks ago. The pathology report stated that she has follicular cancer, encapsulated with angioinvasion. Now her left vocal cord is paralyzed. How common is vocal cord paralysis four weeks after surgery? Can she undergo total thyroidectomy even after having vocal cord paralysis after the first surgery?
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Did the pathology report state how many vessels are involved? What is the size of the tumor? More than 50 % will resolve within six months. Please consult an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) surgeon. Yes, she can undergo total thyroidectomy even after vocal cord paralysis. Discuss with your surgeon. Though he risks are high, the surgery can be done.
Patient's Query
Thank you doctor for the reply,
I have not seen the complete report. I will ask the doctor how many vessels were involved. I understand the fewer the blood vessels, the better the prognosis. The tumor was more than 0.7 inch. In my country, they do not do biopsies on non-suspicious lumps smaller than 0.7 inch. The doctor used an ultrasound at the follow-up meeting to check her lymph nodes. Everything seemed fine.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Yes, foci mean that there is some involvement. Less than four blood vessels denote a good prognosis. The size of the tumor matters for prognosis. You are right about follicular thyroid cancer. It spreads through blood vessels and does not involve the lymph nodes.
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Diabetology
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