Thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid gland) may be used to treat patients whose symptoms persist in spite of obtaining normal thyroid hormone levels with replacement therapy. Persistence of symptoms in spite of bringing thyroid hormone levels up to normal is thought to be caused by the autoimmune aspect of Hashimoto’s disease.[1]
Removal of the thyroid gland can suppress the underlying autoimmune response in the body by removing the source of antigenic tissue.[2] A 2019 randomized controlled trial tested this idea in 150 participants with persistent symptoms in spite of normal thyroid hormone levels. In comparison to participants who received the control intervention (thyroid hormone replacement therapy only), participants who had their thyroid glands removed showed significant improvements in overall health and fatigue, and in autoantibody levels, at an 18-month follow-up.[3]