The treatment goals for Graves' disease are to stop the production of thyroid hormones and to block the effect of the hormones on the body. Some treatments include: Radioactive iodine therapy With this therapy, you take radioactive iodine (radioiodine) by mouth.
Full Answer
When do you need a nephrectomy?
You may need a nephrectomy when your kidney is damaged. This may be caused by clogged blood vessels, kidney stones, infection, or kidney cancer. These conditions decrease your kidney's ability to control blood pressure and to completely remove harmful wastes from your body.
What is a partial nephrectomy?
Partial Nephrectomy: Usually done when a patient has only one kidney or poor kidney function, the surgeon removes only a portion of the affected kidney.
How is Graves'ophthalmopathy treated?
Mild symptoms of Graves' ophthalmopathy may be managed by using over-the-counter artificial tears during the day and lubricating gels at night. If your symptoms are more severe, your doctor may recommend: Corticosteroids. Treatment with prescription corticosteroids, such as prednisone, may diminish swelling behind your eyeballs.
What are the different types of nephrectomy procedures?
There are two types of nephrectomy procedures: 1 Partial nephrectomy, where a surgeon removes only the diseased portion of the kidney. You may have an open partial... 2 Radical nephrectomy, where a surgeon removes the entire kidney. Surgeons may also remove a section of the ureter (tube... More ...
What is the treatment of choice for the patient with Graves disease?
These prescription medications include propylthiouracil and methimazole (Tapazole). Because the risk of liver disease is more common with propylthiouracil, methimazole is considered the first choice when doctors prescribe medication.
How is hyperthyroidism treated after surgery?
Beta blockers such as atenolol (25-50 mg/day) should be used up to and after surgery until thyroid function levels are within the normal limits. In patients who are unable to tolerate ATDs, beta blockers have been found to be more efficacious in controlling symptoms of hyperthyroidism in the preoperative setting.
Do you still have Graves disease after surgery?
Background. Thyrotoxicosis after total thyroidectomy is mostly iatrogenic. Rarely, a hyperfunctional thyroid remnant or ectopic tissue may be the cause. There are few cases of Graves' disease arising from thyroid tissue located in the mediastinum and none in which Graves' disease was diagnosed only after surgery.
How is Graves disease treated after thyroidectomy?
Treating Graves' disease with a thyroidectomy involves removing all or nearly all of the thyroid gland. The main side effect of not having a thyroid is the need for ongoing thyroid medication — usually one pill a day. Treatment with radioiodine also results in a need for life-long thyroid medication.
What is the first line treatment for hyperthyroidism?
Radioactive iodine. Taken by mouth, radioactive iodine is absorbed by your thyroid gland, where it causes the gland to shrink. Symptoms usually subside within several months. Excess radioactive iodine disappears from the body in weeks to months.
Do you still have Graves disease if your thyroid is removed?
It is common to detect Graves' disease in patients with thyroid cancer clinically, but cases of Graves' disease recurrence after partial thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer are very rare.
When is surgery recommended for Graves disease?
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER THYROIDECTOMY FOR MANAGEMENT OF GRAVES' DISEASE? Thyroidectomy should be considered for anyone with Graves' disease (GD) and moderate-to-severe eye disease, or smokers with GD due to increased risk of exacerbation of eye disease after radioactive iodine.
How do you reverse Graves disease?
Unlike some other conditions, Graves' disease can't be reversed with dietary changes alone. It has to be treated with conventional medication. “Medical intervention is always the first step with Graves',” says Susan Spratt, MD, an endocrinologist with Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
What is the main cause of Graves disease?
Graves' disease is caused by a malfunction in the body's disease-fighting immune system. It's unknown why this happens. The immune system normally produces antibodies designed to target a specific virus, bacterium or other foreign substance.
Do you stop methimazole after thyroidectomy?
Based on your calcium and parathyroid hormone levels, you may need to take a calcium supplement and/or vitamin D for a period of time after surgery. You will be able to stop your methimazole or PTU immediately.
Can you take methimazole after thyroidectomy?
American Thyroid Association guidelines recommend that patients undergoing thyroidectomy be rendered euthyroid with methimazole preoperatively and that potassium iodide (KI) be given in the immediate preoperative period.
What is Graves disease and how is it treated?
Graves' disease is an autoimmune condition that causes an overactive thyroid. This refers to having too much thyroid hormone in the body, an issue that is also called hyperthyroidism. Treatment may include medications to reduce the production of thyroid hormone, radioiodine therapy, or surgery to remove the thyroid.
What are the two types of nephrectomy?
Types of nephrectomy. There are two types of nephrectomy for a diseased kidney: partial and radical. In partial nephrectomy, only the diseased or injured portion of the kidney is removed. Radical nephrectomy involves removing the entire kidney, along with a section of the tube leading to the bladder (ureter), the gland that sits atop the kidney ...
Why do they do nephrectomy?
The procedure is done to treat kidney cancer as well as other kidney diseases and injuries. Nephrectomy is also done to remove a healthy kidney from a donor (either living or deceased) for transplantation. Thousands of nephrectomies are performed every year in the U.S.
What are the risks of nephrectomy surgery?
Possible complications of nephrectomy surgery include: There is also the small risk of kidney failure in a patient with lowered function or disease in the remaining kidney.
What is the procedure to remove kidneys?
Laparoscopic Surgery . Some people who require a nephrectomy are suitable for laparoscopic surgery (also called minimally invasive surgery) to remove the kidney. Laparoscopic surgery involves the use of a laparoscope (wand-like camera) that is passed through a series of small incisions or “ports” in the abdominal wall.
How to be evaluated as a kidney donor?
In order to be evaluated as a kidney donor you must be healthy and without diseases that may lead to kidney failure. These include diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension). A potential donor is first tested for blood type compatibility with the potential recipient. After blood type compatibility is confirmed the health care team will perform several other tests. These tests are done to look for complications that could possibly cause the recipient’s body to reject the new kidney. Also, to identify any health problems in the potential donor that would make him or her unsuitable as a donor.
How to contact the National Kidney Foundation?
Contact the National Kidney Foundation for information at 800.622.9010. If you have Internet access, you can find more information at www.kidney.org/transplanttion/livingdonors or at NKF’s Kidney Learning System (KLS) ® Web site at www.kidney.org/KLS. You can also get more information from the following organizations:
How to contact the National Cancer Institute?
Call 1-800-891-5390 or visit the website at www.niddk.nih.gov.
Why do you need a nephrectomy?
You may need a nephrectomy when your kidney is damaged. This may be caused by clogged blood vessels, kidney stones, infection, or kidney cancer. These conditions decrease your kidney's ability to control blood pressure and to completely remove harmful wastes from your body. With nephrectomy, your kidney problem may be treated ...
What is the procedure to remove the kidneys?
A nephrectomy (ne-FREK-to-me) is surgery to remove all or part of your kidney. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs found under the ribs on each side of the upper abdomen. The kidneys remove wastes and other unwanted chemicals from the body. These wastes are flushed from the body in the form of urine. Above each kidney is an adrenal gland, which ...
Why do you need a nephrectomy?
A nephrectomy may be needed, if the patient has: Kidney cancer. Tissue damage or recurrent infection due to a staghorn calculus, a type of urinary tract stone. Large, painful cysts. Chronic infection coupled with kidney scarring and loss of kidney function. A kidney injury that has led to uncontrolled bleeding.
What is a partial nephrectomy?
They include: Partial Nephrectomy: Usually done when a patient has only one kidney or poor kidney function, the surgeon removes only a portion of the affected kidney.
What is robotic assisted surgery?
Like laparoscopic nephrectomy, several small incisions are made in the abdomen so that a laparoscope and surgical tools can be passed through to remove part or all of the diseased kidney.
What are the complications of nephrectomy?
Although rare, complications can occur during a nephrectomy procedure. They include: 1 Organ or tissue damage due to the instruments used 2 Long-term bowel inactivity 3 Incisional hernia, which can develop within one to five years post-surgery 4 Post-operative pneumonia 5 Death 6 Blood clots 7 Rejection of the donor kidney, if one is transplanted 8 Kidney failure or loss of function in the remaining, healthy kidney
What is a radical kidneyectomy?
Radical Nephrectomy: Often used to treat kidney cancer, the surgeon takes out the entire kidney, as well as its surrounding fat. The ureter and/or the adrenal gland may also be removed. Donor Nephrectomy: A healthy kidney and ureter are removed and implanted in a person with a malfunctioning kidney.
How long does a patient stay in the hospital after a nephrectomy?
The patient will spend several hours being closely monitored in an intensive care unit after a nephrectomy, but will likely stay in the hospital for several days. A urinary catheter will be placed for the first day after surgery to drain the bladder.
How long is a nephrectomy incision?
During an open nephrectomy, a wide incision (about 10 to 20 inches long) is made on the front or side of the patient's abdomen, often between the lower ribs. This method requires a large enough incision for the doctor to reach in and expose the kidney, by moving muscle, fat and other tissues out of the way.
Why do you need a nephrectomy?
The most common reason to have a nephrectomy is to remove a tumor from the kidney. A kidney tumor may be cancerous or benign (noncancerous). Some people need a nephrectomy if their kidney is the source of repeat infections or is no longer working. Surgeons also use nephrectomies to remove a healthy kidney for a kidney donation.
How to do a laparoscopic nephrectomy?
During a laparoscopic nephrectomy, your surgeon: 1 Makes one or a few small incisions in your abdomen or side. 2 Inserts a long wand with a camera (laparoscope) through the incision. 3 Views the camera image from the laparoscope on a large screen. 4 Uses the camera image and small surgical tools to remove the diseased portion of your kidney or your entire kidney. 5 Closes all incisions with small stitches that will dissolve on their own.
How does robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery work?
In a robotic-assisted laparoscopic case, a surgical robot is controlled by the surgeon to manipulate these small tools. An open nephrectomy uses one large incision. Surgeons view directly inside the body and do not use a camera. Laparoscopic nephrectomy may lead to shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery times.
What is the difference between a partial and bilateral nephrectomy?
A nephrectomy is the surgical removal of one kidney. Bilateral nephrectomy is the surgical removal of both kidneys. There are two types of nephrectomy procedures: Partial nephrectomy, where a surgeon removes only the diseased portion of the kidney. You may have an open partial nephrectomy or a laparoscopic/ robotic partial nephrectomy.
How to remove kidney disease?
Makes one or a few small incisions in your abdomen or side. Inserts a long wand with a camera (laparoscope) through the incision. Views the camera image from the laparoscope on a large screen. Uses the camera image and small surgical tools to remove the diseased portion of your kidney or your entire kidney.
How long after nephrectomy can you have two kidneys?
While most people are born with two kidneys, you can usually function well with only one. You should be able to return to normal activities about six weeks after surgery. After nephrectomy, you'll need follow-up care to keep an eye on the function of your remaining kidney.
How long do you stay in the hospital after a nephrectomy?
You will need to stay in the hospital for one to five days after surgery. How long you stay in the hospital depends on what type of nephrectomy you had. Your healthcare team will monitor your blood pressure, electrolytes and fluid levels.
What is a radical nephrectomy?
Radical nephrectomy encompasses ligating the renal artery and vein, removing the kidney outside the Gerota fascia, removing the ipsilateral adrenal gland, and performing a complete regional lymphadenectomy from the crus of the diaphragm to the aortic bifurcation.
Which approach is preferred for resecting a tumor?
In general, most tumors are resectable through a transperitoneal subcostal incision .
Is a transperitoneal subcostal incision easier to perform?
In general, most tumors are resectable through a transperitoneal subcostal incision. The principal advantage of the abdominal approach is that exposure in the area of the renal pedicle is excellent. A vertical midline incision is easier and quicker to perform.
What to do if colon cancer is a tumor?
If locally advanced tumors suspected of extension into either the colon or mesentery are present, patients should undergo a mechanical and antibiotic bowel preparation.
Which incision provides better access to the lateral and superior portion of the kidney?
A transverse incision provides better access to the lateral and superior portion of the kidney, and a unilateral subcostal incision can be extended across the midline as a chevron incision to provide excellent exposure of both kidneys, the aorta, and the inferior vena cava.
Is lymphadenectomy effective for RCC?
The role of regional lymphadenectomy in patients with localized kidney cancer is controversial. Because no widely effective treatments are available for metastatic RCC, proponents argue that if only small nodes are involved, regional lymphadenectomy may benefit a small number of patients.
Is renal mass malignant?
However, not all solid renal masses are malignant. As the number of incidentally detected solid renal masses increases because of widespread radiographic imaging, the incidence of benign tumors appears to be increasing.