Before you are discharged from the hospital, a single suture in the incision will be removed. The coating will peel off on its own within 3-6 days and a moisturizer can be applied to the wound to improve healing. All surgery causes scarring, and how a patient scars is dependent on the individual. However, there are some techniques that surgeons use to minimize scarring. As a general rule, it is unusual for adults to have a noticeable scar after six months.
Swimming is the only major restriction.
In general, your activity level depends on how much discomfort you experience. Many patients have resumed golf or tennis within days after the operation. You must see the doctor for a routine follow-up office visit three weeks after surgery. Since there is no way to predict this prior to surgery, this information will usually be provided as soon as you awake in the recovery room. These thyroid abnormalities can be managed most efficiently at the time of surgery and may require partial or, in some cases, total removal of the thyroid.