Head & Neck Surgery

We may recommend surgery to remove the cyst if it’s infected or it makes it hard for the patient to swallow food or liquid. We may also recommend surgery even if your cyst doesn’t have symptoms.

These cysts develop during gestation when your body begins building your thyroid gland. That’s the butterfly-shaped gland that makes hormones that control your metabolism. Metabolism is the pace at which your body processes things (how fast it burns food to make energy and heat).

To build the gland, thyroid cells travel from the base of your tongue to your hyoid bone. That’s a U-shaped bone that supports your tongue. Thyroid cells make that journey through what’s called the thyroglossal tract. Typically, this tract closes off and dissolves once your thyroid glands are in place. But tracts that don’t close off can fill up with fluid and mucus and become thyroglossal cysts.

A diagnostic lumpectomy is simply the removal of a lump from the head and neck region for diagnostic purposes.

This procedure is a day procedure thats normally done under either local or general anesthetic.

The skin around the cut (incision) may feel firm, swollen, and be bruised and tender for a few days.

Parotidectomy is surgery to remove all or part of a major salivary gland in your cheek called your parotid gland. You may need this surgery if a tumor forms in your parotid gland. Most tumors are benign, but they can be cancerous. Removing your parotid gland can prevent the tumor from damaging tissue or harming important nearby structures like your facial nerve.

A parotidectomy is a major surgery that lasts from three to four hours on average. You’ll likely need to stay in the hospital overnight.

Parotidectomy requires the expertise of a skilled surgeon who can identify and spare your facial nerve, which runs through your parotid gland. Your facial nerve controls the muscles that control the movement of your face. It allows you to smile, frown, wrinkle your forehead and express other emotions. Depending on your tumor’s location, it can be challenging to work around this nerve.