Head and Neck Service

The Department of General Surgery’s Head and Neck Service at Sengkang General Hospital is part of the SingHealth - Duke NUS Head and Neck Center, a multidisciplinary network of specialists who are experts in head and neck surgery. The SingHealth - Duke NUS Head and Neck Center aims to deliver holistic clinical expertise and care in the management and cure of head and neck conditions. Building on this philosophy of holistic care, the Head and Neck Service at General Surgery SKH continues to treat common general surgical conditions, as well as maintain a special focus on thyroid, parathyroid and salivary gland tumours in the Head and Neck region.

General Surgery’s Head and Neck Service is composed of a multidisciplinary team that partners with each patient to focus on comprehensive treatment, including diagnosis, therapy, recovery and surveillance. Our team of specialists will conduct complete head and neck evaluation entailing detailed history-taking with special attention to personal history (exposure of risk factors), general examination, and thorough local examination.

Our Clinical Services

We offer clinical consultation and the evaluation of both surgical as well as non-surgical treatment options on the following Head and Neck/ General Surgical conditions:

Neck lumps/swelling
Thyroid lumps/swelling
Parotid lumps/swelling
Tongue ulcer/ swelling
Abdominal pain/bloatedness
Abdominal swelling/mass/hernias
Anaemia
Unexplained weight loss
Loss of appetite/ Swallowing difficulties

Head and Neck Conditions We Treat

Enlarged Lymph Nodes Goiter Mouth Ulcers Neck Swellings Parathyroid Adenoma Parathyroid Disorders Salivary Gland Cancer Salivary Gland Swelling Stone Thyroid Cancer Thyroid Nodules

Treatments Offered

Thyroid gland

The thyroid gland is a vital hormonal gland in your neck that plays an essential role in your metabolism, growth and overall development of your body. Some of our thyroid treatments include:

Surgery for benign and malignant thyroid disease (hemithyroidectomy, total thyroidectomy, radical neck dissection)
Surgery for thyroglossal cyst
Thyroid cyst aspiration

Parathyroid gland

Parathyroid glands form part of the endocrine system which regulates the calcium in our body. We offer the following treatment and surgery for the parathyroid gland:

Surgery for benign and malignant parathyroid disease
Parathyroidectomy and reimplantation

Parotid

Surgery for parotid tumour

Airway evaluation

Evaluating airflow in a patient is an important part of head and neck medicine. In order to make an accurate diagnosis of your condition, we offer evaluations such as:

Outpatient upper airway endoscopy and laryngoscopy
Upper airway endoscopy and laryngoscopy

Evaluation of Neck swellings
Endoscopic procedures offered for the gastrointestinal tract:

OGD & Colonoscopy
Hemostasis of GI tract bleeding
Removal of GI tract polyp

FAQ

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Successful treatment for thyroid cancer often involves surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy or any combination of the three. Unlike many other cancers, chemotherapy is not needed in thyroid cancer. The radiation treatment in thyroid cancer is also relatively simpler with minimal side effects compared to the radiation regimes in some other cancers.

Most thyroid cancers are curable. In fact - highly curable. Up to 80% of all thyroid cancers are papillary thyroid cancers. Papillary cancer is a slow-growing cancer that responds very well to treatment and hence, rarely fatal.

Goitre is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. Several conditions can cause your thyroid gland to enlarge. These include:

Graves’ disease
Hashimoto’s disease
Thyroid nodule(s)
Thyroid cancer

Parathyroid hormone plays a crucial role in your body’s metabolism of calcium. If left untreated, more serious complications such as kidney stones, osteoporosis, seizures or convulsions can occur in individuals due to too little calcium in the bones and excessive calcium levels in the bloodstream. Hence, be sure to seek medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Muscle weakness
Chronic Fatigue or drowsiness

Nodes up to 1cm in diameter are generally considered normal. On the other hand, lymph nodes measuring more than 1cm in the short axis diameter is a concern. However, the lymph node size alone does not serve as an indicator of cancer in the head and neck region or lymphoma. A swollen or enlarged lymph node requires further clinical investigation.

Our Care Team

The Department of Head and Neck surgery at Sengkang General Hospital forms an integral part of the SingHealth - Duke NUS Head and Neck Center, a diverse network of doctors and specialists who are experienced and fully qualified in the area of head and neck medicine and surgery. Our care team develops and implements a personalised care plan for each patient.