General and Laparoscopic Surgery
Thyroid Surgery in Nigeria
Part or all of the thyroid gland at the front of the neck is removed, for a goitre pressing on the windpipe or gullet, a nodule that tests cannot prove harmless, cancer, or an overactive thyroid that tablets have not controlled. Most people stay one or two nights.
Also called: Thyroidectomy, Thyroid lobectomy, Hemithyroidectomy, Goitre surgery
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Published price
₦1,400,000
Fixed all-in case rate, half the thyroid (lobectomy)
One to two nights in hospital included.
What the price covers
- Surgeon and assistant fees
- Anaesthetist and theatre time
- Standard consumables for the operation
- Your bed for the expected stay
- Routine medication while you are admitted
- The post-operative review at six weeks
- Histology on the thyroid removed
- Calcium blood tests after surgery
What it does not cover
- The first consultation and the tests that confirm you need the operation
- Treating conditions found during work-up, such as uncontrolled diabetes or an untreated infection
- Take-home medication after discharge
- Care for complications needing intensive care or a return to theatre
- Thyroid hormone tablets after surgery, which are lifelong after a total thyroidectomy
- Radioactive iodine or other cancer treatment, if the histology calls for it
Related prices
Total thyroidectomy, both sides of the gland
₦1,800,000
What would change this price
- Both sides removed, priced separately above
- A very large goitre extending down behind the breastbone
- Cancer needing lymph nodes in the neck removed as well
- A stay beyond two nights, for example while calcium levels settle
If an HMO is paying, the case needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- A goitre causing difficulty swallowing or breathing, a choking feeling, or one that is visibly growing
- A thyroid nodule whose needle test is suspicious or cannot rule out cancer
- Confirmed thyroid cancer
- An overactive thyroid not controlled by tablets, or where tablets cannot be continued
When it is not the right answer
- A small goitre or nodule with a reassuring scan and needle test, which needs watching rather than surgery
- An overactive thyroid not yet brought under control with tablets, because operating on an uncontrolled gland is dangerous
- A nodule that has not had a scan and a fine needle test, because those decide whether surgery is needed and how much
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Examination, blood tests, scan and needle test₦35,000
Thyroid function, an ultrasound of the neck and, for a nodule, a fine needle test. Together they decide between watching, half and all.
- 2
Voice box check and anaesthetic review
The vocal cords are checked before surgery so that any change afterwards is measured against a known starting point.
- 3
The operation
One and a half to three hours under general anaesthetic, through a cut in a skin crease low in the neck.
- 4
One to two nights in hospital
Watched closely on the first night. Calcium is checked after a total thyroidectomy before you go home.
- 5
Review with the histology₦25,000
Results explained in person, and thyroid tablets started or adjusted.
Recovery, realistically
Days 1 to 3
A sore throat, a stiff neck and a hoarse or tired voice are common. Soft food is easier.
Week 1 to 2
Desk work after one to two weeks. No driving until you can turn your head freely.
Week 2 to 6
The voice settles and the scar flattens. Avoid heavy lifting.
After six weeks
Thyroid levels are checked and tablet doses settled.
Risks you should be told about
- Hoarseness from bruising of the nerve to the voice box, usually temporary; a permanent change is uncommon in experienced hands
- Low calcium after a total thyroidectomy, usually temporary and treated with tablets
- Bleeding in the neck in the first hours, which is why you are watched overnight
- Needing thyroid hormone tablets: always after a total thyroidectomy, sometimes after half
- A visible scar, and keloid in skin prone to it
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Will I need tablets for life?
After a total thyroidectomy, yes: one small tablet a day, which replaces the hormone exactly. After half, most people make enough from the half that remains, and blood tests will tell.
Will my voice change?
It is often hoarse or tires easily for a few weeks. A lasting change is uncommon, which is why the cords are checked before and after.
Can a goitre be treated without surgery?
Many can simply be watched, and an overactive gland is treated with tablets first. Surgery is for a goitre causing pressure, a nodule that may be cancer, or an overactive thyroid that tablets cannot control.
Why half and not all?
Removing only the side with the problem lowers the risk to the voice and to calcium, and often avoids lifelong tablets. All is removed when both sides are affected or cancer needs it.
Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 11 October 2026. They are what you would be quoted for the standard case described here. Your final quote follows an examination, because the right operation for you may not be this one.