German clinics use the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment.
In German clinics, the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment of thyroid gland diseases are widely used. And endocrine surgery in this country is considered one of the best in the world. For example, thyroid gland operations in Germany rank third in frequency after appendectomy and herniotomy. The main diagnostic methods for thyroid gland diseases used in German clinics are:
• Ultrasound examination. It allows detecting the volume and degree of damage to the gland, determining the number and location of nodes, their structure. This method is supplemented by fine-needle aspiration biopsy under ultrasound guidance and taking a punctate for cytological examination.
• Radioisotope scanning – will allow identifying the type of node and determining the degree of impairment of gland function.
• Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are more often used before surgery to detect residual gland tissue, in case of goiter recurrence and suspicion of malignant neoplasms in the gland.
• Laboratory diagnostic methods are mandatory. They determine the levels of T3, T4, TSH, thyroid-stimulating antibodies, autoantibodies to TSH receptors, calcitonin level in case of suspicion of medullary thyroid cancer.
Surgical interventions for thyroid gland diseases in specialized German clinics are mainly performed using minimally invasive methods with the use of the latest technologies. When indicated, open surgical interventions are also performed. An important point is that during the operation, the possibility of damage to the recurrent nerve, which is responsible for the functioning of the vocal cords, is excluded. For this purpose, neuromonitoring of this nerve is performed during all operations.
Thanks to modern technologies, the risk of damage to the parathyroid glands is minimized, and when they are removed, they are immediately re-implanted into the neck muscles. With the help of telepathological equipment, surgeons can directly communicate during the operation with morphologists in the laboratory. That is, they receive accurate information about the morphological characteristics of the removed tissue and, depending on this, model the further course of the operation. Since minimally invasive operations are mainly used, the cosmetic defect after the intervention remains minimal.
A few words about treatment in Germany of thyroid cancer. Basically, 5 methods are used:
• Surgical intervention. It is most often performed using a minimally invasive method; the surgical technique allows maximum excision of affected tissues while preserving functioning ones.
• Treatment with radioactive iodine 131. It is prescribed after surgery to prevent recurrence.
• Hormonal therapy. Levothyroxine sodium is prescribed to suppress the growth of tumor cells after surgery.
• Radiation therapy. Used for medullary thyroid cancer. The tumor and regional lymph nodes are irradiated directly.
• Chemotherapy. Used to suppress the growth and reproduction of tumor cells.
The modern level of diagnosis and treatment, knowledgeable and experienced specialists - endocrinologists, surgeons, therapists, the latest equipment - all this allows treating even the most difficult and advanced cases of thyroid gland diseases in Germany.
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