#firsttimesurgery

[trevorgoesplaces]

10 MUTHAFUCKA 10, SHIT!!!! #firsttimesurgery #operatingtableswag #hurrythefuckup (at Mount Sinai Doctors - Faculty Practice)

[peerwerk]

Sistrunk Procedure: What to expect when you aren’t expecting anything (part 1)

I kind of wanted to document my recent sistrunk procedure (the removal of a thyroglossal duct cyst) in some form, as I was unable to really find a lot of material on the subject from the patient’s perspective. 

I found out last June that I had a cyst somewhere in my throat while I was having a separate throat issue checked out, so the whole thing really came as quite a surprise. My doctor told me that typically, these are never found by accident; these cysts are usually removed because they become inflamed through infection, causing a good amount of pain. My throat doctor suggested surgery, but I was not too quick to jump to that decision at the time as it had not given me any problems thus far. From there, we mutually decided the right move would be to revisit the issue in 6 months, with a follow up ultrasound of my neck to see if it had grown larger or was causing any issues. 

A thyroglossal duct cyst is technically categorized as a birth defect. This cyst is something that is formed while one is still developing in the womb, after the thyroid gland moves down the throat. This little tunnel the gland takes from the top of the throat down is supposed to close, but in some cases, a little pocket remains, and over time collects mucus and whatever other oddities wind up in there. Removal of the cyst also typically involved removal of the hyoid bone, a bone that helps support the tongue (fun fact: this bone is the only bone in our body that is not connected to any other bones except through muscles and ligaments). If this bone is not removed, the chances of the cyst returning over time are worryingly high. 

The procedure for removal requires some pretty graphic cutting through the neck. Do not be like me and watch a video of it beforehand, it isn’t helpful to the stress you may already be feeling. The videos I watched of post surgery patient “vlogs” were incredibly varied, from a younger woman barely able to talk while laying sadly in her recliner to an older gentleman standing up, cheerfully talking about how he could already eat. These videos also did nothing to relieve any of my worries, because they really drove the point home to this first time surgery patient that I really did not know what to expect.