Partial thyroidectomy - what to expect?

Hi ClaireRus,

Did you remove your own dressings? They told me I could remove them Friday but didn’t mention if they needed covering again? I am a bit nervous about removing them myself because I don’t know what to expect the wound to look like a week after surgery. They said I could book at the local hospital for them to remove them but they have no appointments for Friday.

Will my GP be able to help?

I have dissolvable stitches so I’m not to get it wet until Friday. 

My dressing was removed before I left hospital.I had a running stitch with beads either end. Wound just looked like a rather long scratch .

I left wound open to air a just kept clean and dry .

Stitch was removed at the hospital7 days post operation. Not uncomfortable at all just a slight tickle. Yours even better as dissolve. I have just had breast operation and dissolvable stitches healed very well

Then the wound tends to be in a natural crease and eventually is bearly visible.

Stay safe good healing xx

Hello again,

It's ok to remove your own dressing. I'd just recommend you try and keep your skin taught while you're doing it so that it doesn't drag... a bit like waxing (not sure if that makes sense or helps). Did they give you any more dressings? You might feel like it's a bit exposed and may want to keep it covered up a bit. I think my stitches were in for 2 weeks so I had to keep them dry and was given dressings to cover it up when I showered. Dissolvable stitches are a bit different so don't worry if they've not given you any dressings.

Take care x

Hi Bagpuss73 and ClaireRus,

I did reply but it must of not posted for some reason!

I managed to take my dressings off; they are sticky little things aren’t they! I would take one bit off and start on the next bit then the first part would stick back on again!

The wound isn’t as bad as I was imagining and really neat. It still feels a bit bruised above the wound and talking is still a working progress. I sound like Marg Simpson! GP receptionist couldn’t understand what I was saying when booking baby’s jabs so my partner had to take over bless him.

Thank you both for the advice.

Forgot to say I’ve been wearing scarfs (light airy ones) when outside in the garden to protect it from the sun rather than stick another dressing over it. That seems to be working well for me.

Hi. When did you have your PT?

Hi Rachy40,

I had it done on the 15th May.

Starting to feel so much better than I did a few days after!

That’s great to hear! I had pretty severe pain after my TT that lasted about 1.5 days, but then it eased up. After 2 days I no longer needed pain meds. I’m told most people only have mild pain after a TT or PT. 

Thanks Rachy40! I’m near enough back to normal now except my voice. Has yours changed or did it eventually go back to normal? I had the results of my hormone levels back today and they are borderline for being too low so I’ve got to retest in a month. I am still tiring quickly but not sure if that’s due to the lack of sleep because of baby but consultant said it could be the thyroid hormone levels affecting my energy levels. 

Hi, just jumping back in on this. I had problems with my voice for a while- mention it to your dr as I needed speech therapy (which sorted everything out). 
Hang on in there with the tiredness, it could be so many things but if it’s your thyroid they can sort it out relatively easily with some thyroxine x