The thyroid and parathyroid are endocrine glands near the throat that secrete hormones throughout the body. The parathyroid is a cluster of smaller glands located near the back of the thyroid that controls the amount of calcium in the blood.
There are three major reasons that the thyroid or parathyroid would need to be surgically removed: the glands are enlarged, the glands are over-active or there is a growth or tumor present. Depending on the condition of the glands, the whole thyroid or parathyroid may need to be removed or just a single lobe.
Some thyroidectomies and parathyroidectomies are often outpatient surgeries, which means that in general the patient can go home after the procedure. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The doctor makes an incision in the midline of the lower neck and removes part or all of the thyroid and/or parathyroid. The incision is then stitched up.