Introduction

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck. The neck is a narrow channel through which lots of important structures pass to the rest of the body such as the food pipe (esophagus), the windpipe (trachea), the arteries supplying blood to the brain (carotid arteries) and veins bringing blood back from the brain (jugular veins) as well as the spinal cord, the voice box and many important nerves. If the thyroid enlarges it can squeeze these important structures and cause problems with breathing or swallowing. There are many indications for thyroid surgery, including: thyroid malignancy, goiters that produce obstructive symptoms and/or are retrosternal; hyperthyroidism resistant to medical management; cosmetic and anxiety related reasons. Thyroid surgery can range from simple removal of a thyroid nodule to highly complex surgery. The presence of longstanding or large goiters can pose difficult airway management decisions whilst endocrine imbalance can have profound systemic manifestations that need to be considered and controlled perioperatively. In this session you will learn to adopt knowledge, skill and right attitude to assess and administer safe anesthesia for a patient with thyroid gland problems as well as for surgical removal of thyroid gland.