INFORMATION SHEET FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING:
THYROID AND PARATHYROID SURGERY
You have now had the procedure for thyroid/parathyroid surgery explained
to you in the office by Dr. Pasieka. You have signed a consent indicating that you understand the procedure, that you understand the
major risks and complications of the procedure and the alternatives to surgical intervention. The major risks and complications for undergoing
thyroid/parathyroid surgery consist of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, parathyroid injury resulting in hypocalcemia, bleeding, infection
and in the case of parathyroid surgery, not identifying the underlying parathyroid that is causing the problem.
A booking request will
now be submitted requesting operating time. The Booking Office, which will
schedule your surgical date, will be in contact with you They will try to give
you as much leeway time as necessary, however you may be contacted on short
notice, indicating that we have a cancellation or have re-arranged the schedule
in order to accommodate you as quickly as possible.
Some of you may require to attend a Pre-op Assessment Clinic,
approximately 2 weeks before surgery. The clinic is situated on the
main floor of the North Tower. At that time, blood tests, chest x-rays and
electrocardiograms may be done, if they are indicated. You may be seen by an
anesthetist and possibly an internist and given educational material regarding
your upcoming surgery. It is important that you attend this clinic, as you will
be admitted on the day of the procedure and have no further orientation done in
regards to the surgical wards.
On the morning of the procedure you will be admitted to the hospital.
Please follow the hospital admitting instructions carefully, in regards to when
you can last eat or drink. Dr. Pasieka will then see you just prior to surgery
and can answer any further questions. Surgery on the thyroid and parathyroid
usually take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours in duration, depending upon the
procedure that is involved. Dr. Pasieka will then be in contact with your
next-of-kin, on the surgical ward or by phone if you so desire.
Following the procedure, you will be allowed to eat and drink. You will be
encouraged to start ambulating. The hospital stay ranges anywhere from 1 to 3
days and you will be discharged when you are able to care for yourself at home
and medically fit to leave the hospital. Please arrange a post-operative
appointment with Dr. Pasieka’s office the following week, to have your sutures
removed. You may need a blood test, the day before your post-operative
appointment; to monitor your calcium level. Most patients are able to return to
work within two or three weeks of surgery.
It is important that as a patient undergoing surgery that you feel that you have
gotten all of the appropriate information prior to surgical intervention. All of
these procedures are explained to you in detail, in the office, by Dr. Pasieka,
however it is sometimes difficult to remember all of the details. If you have
any further questions or would like to discuss the procedure, once again in
detail, please do not hesitate to call the office and make an appointment.
You should also note that this is a teaching hospital and therefore Dr. Pasieka
is heavily involved in teaching of doctors becoming surgeons. These
individuals are called surgical residents. Dr. Pasieka believes that surgical
residents enhance the care of the patients. Please rest assured that she is
ultimately responsible for your care, and will be doing the surgery herself.
If you have any further questions regarding the surgery or the
procedures outlined above, please do not hesitate to call the office.
Dr. Pasieka looks forward to seeing you in the hospital. If you have
any concerns about the care that you are given prior to, during or after the
surgery, please do not hesitate to call and this will be discussed in your
follow-up visit.
Dr. J.
Pasieka, MD, FRCSC
Regional Division Chief - General Surgery
University of Calgary and Foothills Hospital