Am I a candidate for transoral surgery?
Many people who need thyroid or parathyroid surgery can have it done transorally. A study of 1,000 US patients found that about 56% would qualify (JAMA Network Open, 2019). Your surgeon decides after reviewing your ultrasound, labs and history.
You may be a good candidate if you have:
A benign (noncancerous) thyroid nodule up to about 6 cm
A small thyroid cancer, generally under 2 cm, that has not spread to lymph nodes
Graves' disease or a goiter of moderate size
Primary hyperparathyroidism with a parathyroid gland that shows up on imaging
Transoral surgery may not be right for you if:
Your thyroid is very large or extends into the chest
You have a cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or grown into nearby tissue
You have had neck surgery or radiation before (this may or may not rule it out)
You have an active infection in the mouth or chin area
You can't safely have general anesthesia
Quick self-check
- Has a doctor told you that you need thyroid or parathyroid surgery?
- Is your nodule or cancer within the sizes above?
- Do you have recent ultrasound or imaging results?
If you answered yes, a transoral team can review your records.
These are general guidelines from published studies and expert consensus. Only a surgeon who has reviewed your case can tell you whether transoral surgery is right for you.