Thyroidectomy for cancer was incomplete
I had a thyroidectomy in July for papillary thyroid cancer . I got a neck ultrasound a few months afterwards to make sure cancer hadn’t spread to glands , it hadn’t but we discovered that the surgeon had left a large 4.1cm mass of thyroid tissue/ nodule behind adjacent to the left side, same side the cancer was removed from. According to follow ups with an ENT and another surgeon it is too dangerous to do a re-surgery for several reasons but firstly because my parathyroid glands were damaged during surgery and I am still getting labs for calcium every week since July. The fear is what’s left if my parathyroid function could be permanently destroyed. I will have to get neck ultrasounds and possibly more biopsies going forward to watch for cancer in this area going forward. The nodule is large and causes some swallowing and breathing issues and esophageal spasms. I also had to go to the ER the day after surgery due to hypocalcemia symptoms.Does anyone have advice for me regarding if this is considered medical malpractice and how i can go about possibly being reimbursed for an incomplete surgery that I’ll have to continue to pay for in screenings a health issues not to mention emotionally. ?
Thank you ,
Nancy 🥹
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