What are the complications unique to thyroid surgery?
In about 1 in 100 thyroid operations, the nerves that control the voice are affected by the surgical removal of the thyroid. When this occurs, the main difficulties are projection of the voice and production of high pitched sounds. It is usually described as hoarseness, but will not necessarily be considered abnormal by strangers. Usually, voice changes are temporary, so the voice will return to normal within a few weeks; permanent change is rare.
