Preparing for an Office Visit
During the consultation, the Thyroid Center specialist will ask for certain information regarding symptoms, personal history, and family history:
- How was the thyroid problem discovered?
- How long have you had the thyroid problem?
- Do you have any symptoms such as difficulty eating, drinking, breathing, or swallowing?
- Is there a family history of thyroid cancer or other endocrine problems such as adrenal tumors, pancreas tumors, or high calcium levels?
- Do you have a personal history of radiation therapy or exposure to high doses of radiation?
In addition, he or she will want to review any bloodwork, X-rays, ultrasounds, or other imaging tests that have been done. It is important for patients to bring copies of their relevant lab tests, X-ray reports, as well as the actual pictures from the X-rays, ultrasounds, and other imaging tests.
The office visit is also the opportunity for patients to find out more about their physicians. In particular patients who are preparing for an operation should be ready to ask such questions as:
- How many of this operation do you do each year?
- How many of this operation have you done total?
- What kind of anesthesia will I have?
- How long will I be in the hospital for?
- What are the potential risks and your personal complication rates?
- Will I need thyroid hormone replacement pills after the operation?
