Thyroid Biopsy

Thyroid nodules are common and usually benign (noncancerous). At Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, in Lower Manhattan in New York City, the Sunset Park neighborhood in Brooklyn, and the Flushing neighborhood in Queens, New York, Raymond Yung, MD, and the other board-certified otolaryngologists perform thyroid biopsy procedures to confirm or rule out thyroid cancer. To find out more about thyroid biopsy procedures at Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, call or schedule an appointment online today. Walk-ins are welcome for consults.

What is a thyroid biopsy?

A thyroid biopsy is a procedure that takes a small sample of tissue from your thyroid. Your thyroid is a small gland in your neck. It’s part of your endocrine system and produces hormones that regulate your metabolism, body temperature, and mood. 

Your otolaryngologist at Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, performs ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for a thyroid biopsy. That improves accuracy and minimizes trauma.

Who needs a thyroid biopsy?

Your primary care provider or otolaryngologist at Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, determines if you need a thyroid biopsy. It’s not uncommon to have thyroid nodules, which are growths that form on the thyroid gland. 

In most cases, thyroid nodules are benign. However, you need a thyroid biopsy to confirm or rule out thyroid cancer.

If you have thyroid nodules, which are found during a routine physical exam or imaging test, you need a thyroid biopsy.  

What happens during a thyroid biopsy?

Your otolaryngologist at Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, reviews the details of your thyroid biopsy at your consultation. They perform the procedure using a local anesthetic, so you’re awake during the procedure but feel no pain. They may also give you a mild sedative to help you relax.

While you recline on your back on the exam chair, your provider uses the ultrasound imaging tool to help guide the fine needle into your neck and into the thyroid nodule. Your provider moves the needle back and forth to loosen the tissue and then uses a syringe attached to the needle to remove a sample.

The otolaryngologist sends the thyroid tissue sample to the pathology lab for testing. 

What happens after a thyroid biopsy?

You can resume most of your normal activities after a thyroid biopsy. Unless you received a sedative, in which case you should take it easy the remainder of the day. You may feel some soreness at the site of the biopsy, but these side effects resolve within a few days.

Your otolaryngologist at Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, contacts you when they have the results of your biopsy, which can take several days. They talk to you about the findings and what happens next.

If you have benign thyroid nodules that affect thyroid function, they may recommend thyroid ablation to shrink the nodule. The otolaryngologists at Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, perform that procedure.

To schedule your thyroid biopsy, call Raymond L. Yung, MD, PC, or book an appointment online today.