Diseases affecting the thyroid gland can severely affect the functioning and quality of life of patients therefore it is important to be aware as early detection of diseases usually produce better outcomes. The diseases of the thyroid gland can be curable (eg. thyroid nodules) and treatable (eg. severe thyroid dysfunction with need for thyroidectomy and subsequent thyroid hormone replacement) and there are several options for treatment including pharmacotherapy with thionamides (methimazole, carbimazole, propylthiouracil) being the most important from a hyperthyroidism point of view and thyroid hormone replacement with a synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine) being the most important from a hypothyroidism perspective and surgery. Also, we could have symptomatic control of thyroid diseases (eg. beta-blockers to treat palpitations and other symptoms). Thyroidectomy, though not ideal, is an efficacious and relatively safe method of surgically treating thyroid diseases with a more definitive result. It may be subtotal (such as removal of just one lobe - lobectomy) or total (removal of the entire thyroid tissue). Total thyroidectomy will require lifelong thyroid hormone replacement while subtotal thyroidectomy, depending on the amount of thyroid tissue and functionality remaining, may or may not require thyroid hormone replacement.