Meet Anna, an international patient from Ukraine who traveled across the globe for robotic thyroid cancer surgery with an expert surgeon

Medical tourism is worth it for expert surgical care

Anna is a very special patient who traveled all the way from Ukraine in the middle of the pandemic seeking medical care for her thyroid cancer. 

She is in her early 30s and was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In search of the very best treatment, she found the Suh Scarless Thyroid Surgery Center and Clayman Thyroid Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery. 

After a long and important discussion via an international call, Anna decided to come to us and pursue scarless robotic thyroid surgery to avoid an undesirable neck scar while achieving the best outcome. 

With great anticipation, she and her husband came to our center and met the entire team. On her evaluation by our expert ultrasound specialist, there was a concern for thyroid cancer spread to the adjacent lymph nodes. 

This is a common finding in a young woman with thyroid cancer, especially in papillary thyroid cancer.

With the understanding of potential lymph node spread, Anna underwent a very successful robotic scarless thyroid surgery. 

During the surgery, her lymph nodes were carefully removed and examined under the microscope. She had 10 out of 14 lymph nodes that had metastatic thyroid cancer. 

Therefore, Anna underwent a clean cancer operation with removal of the entire thyroid gland and a total of 20 lymph node resections.  

She did very well and she was discharged just a few hours after the surgery. A few days later, she safely returned home to Ukraine.  

Anna is one of the first international patients who sought our expert care for thyroid cancer at the brand-new Hospital for Endocrine Surgery.

Below, she'll tell you about her experience with the Scarless Thyroid Surgery Center and Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in her own words.

Interview with Anna, an international patient who traveled across the globe seeking expert surgical care for her thyroid cancer

What symptoms were you experiencing prior to your diagnosis?

I had dizziness and some other symptoms since 2016. No one could figure out what was wrong with me. The doctors were looking for something in my brain and sent me to a neurologist. The neurologist sent me to an endocrinologist, and they found a tumor on my thyroid and sent it for biopsy, which turned out to be cancerous. 

What did you do after your diagnosis? How did you find the Scarless Thyroid Surgery Center and the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery?

I was so afraid. I read a lot. I went through all the doctors I found on the internet. My mom helped me and advised me to seek help abroad and she found the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa.

What made you decide to travel across the globe for surgery at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery?

I went through the website and found that this was a real option and a great choice for me. We made a decision as a family that it would be best for me to travel there.

I read a lot. The website has a lot of great information and even videos of the actual procedures that made me feel comfortable and confident in my decision.

The only obstacle I faced was the travel visa because of COVID restrictions. I applied for an emergency visa for medical reasons and the embassy approved it very quickly. Within one month of receiving my cancer diagnosis in Ukraine, I was in Tampa having surgery. It was all very quick and easy.

How did you decide to go with robotic surgery vs. traditional thyroid surgery?

I understood the difference between robotic surgery and traditional thyroid surgery because of the wealth of information and videos on the website. I was very thorough in my research and made sure I understood everything before making my decision. The main advantage for robotic surgery is cosmetic, but that’s not why I chose it. For me, I am young and very active, and the recovery was easier with robotic. I preferred that option so that I can get back to my life and doing the active things I enjoy. 

How was your experience at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery?

It was a very nice experience. All the people were so pleasant and communicative. Given my English, it was difficult at times for me to communicate but they helped me so much.

What advice do you have for people in a similar situation?

First of all, I would advise people, especially women, to monitor the thyroid closely because it’s very important. If you have an issue with your thyroid, come to Tampa for your surgery. It was a great experience and there’s absolutely nothing to complain about. These doctors are only doing thyroid surgeries every day—we do not have these types of specialized hospitals in Ukraine.

Dr. Suh told me I was in the right hands in the right place. I agree with him completely on that!

What are you looking forward to when you return home cancer-free?

I am looking forward to living my life! I have two young children, so I do a lot of activities with them. I keep very busy with work, I am a business development manager at a big company in Ukraine so I am looking forward to getting back to that. I can’t wait to just live my everyday life and enjoy it without the worry of cancer.

Become our patient

Did you know that a large portion of our patients travel to Tampa for the best surgical care possible? Combined, the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgeons at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery have a global reputation and international reach with just over 50% of patients traveling from outside the state of Florida and nearly 10% from out of the country. And with close proximity to Tampa International Airport, hotel partners nearby and complementary transportation to and from the airport and the hospital, the process is seamless.

Become my patient here.

Additional Resources:

• Read more robotic thyroid surgery stories: Young Female Doctor’s Hard Decision: Why I Chose Robotic Thyroid Surgery for my Thyroid Cancer
• Check out our sister surgeons at the Clayman Thyroid Center, Norman Parathyroid Center and Carling Adrenal Center
• We are now operating exclusively at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery