Which complication should the nurse suspect? Nurse Ruth is assessing a client after a thyroidectomy. The assessment reveals muscle twitching and tingling, along with numbness in the fingers, toes, and mouth area.

A thyroidectomy is a procedure done to take out the thyroid from a person. This person may have issues with this gland including having cancer of this gland or trouble swallowing and the enlargement of this gland has squeezed the esophagus.

Also, some people have this procedure done because the thyroid is enlarged, but it is not causing breathing problems. Instead, it is removed for cosmetic purposes, so that they look better. There are always side effects that can occur after a surgical procedure.

If a patient is showing complications of muscles twitching and tingling, they may have a problem. Numbness in the fingers, toes and mouth area may also present a problem. This is because of a seizure known as tetany.

Tetany

Tetany may result if the parathyroid glands are excised or damaged during thyroid surgery. Hemorrhage is a potential complication after thyroid surgery but is characterized by tachycardia, hypotension, frequent swallowing, feelings of fullness at the incision site, choking, and bleeding. Thyroid storm is another term for severe hyperthyroidism not a complication of thyroidectomy. Laryngeal nerve damage may occur postoperatively, but its signs include a hoarse voice and, possibly, acute airway obstruction.