Become a Patient

Robotic Thyroid Surgery and Transoral Thyroid Surgery Scheduling

Scarless Thyroid Surgery Performed by Dr Hyun Suh

Instructions for how to become a patient at the Suh Scarless Thyroid Surgery Center at Norman/Clayman Endocrine Institute in Tampa, FL. Become a part of our family and have the most advanced scarless thyroid surgery performed by the world's experts at the largest thyroid surgery center in the US.

Scarless Thyroid Surgery / Robotic and transoral thyroid surgery by the most experienced scarless thyroid surgeon in the US.

Thyroid surgery and thyroid cancer surgery can be difficult and challenging. But this is all we do, which is unique! We have the most exceptional group of experienced and caring thyroid professionals. So, not only are our surgeons exceptional, but the entire Thyroid Center team is in fact, unique. The Suh Scarless Thyroid Center is partners with the Clayman Thyroid Cancer Center, the largest thyroid cancer center in the US. We work as a team to make sure that every patient has the best surgical options and the highest chance of an amazing outcome...whether that be cure from a thyroid cancer, or a fantastic operation with no scar (or both!).

This page will walk you through the process of how scarless thyroid surgery with Dr Suh in 4 steps:

  1. Understand what makes this practice unique and our reputation as some of the best thyroid surgeons in the world.
  2. Understand the fee structure: We take insurance for the operation, and for all in-person evaluations. However we do offer an online Second Opinion Expert Consultation for patients who live a long distance away and want to consult with us online.
  3. Fill out our secure new-patient form.
  4. Schedule your office visit to Tampa, or instead chose an Online Second Opinion Consultation and then get on our operating schedule if that is what you need.

Have a Question?

We know that there is a lot of information on the site and it can be hard to take it all in. If you have a question for our surgeons, please contact us using this form and we'd be happy to help.

We are Part of the Largest Thyroid Center in the US

Because of the demand for our expertise in scarless thyroid surgery and thyroid cancer surgery and our exceptional results, we perform between 30 and 40 thyroid operations per week, about 1,750 per year. About one fourth of our patients come from outside the state of Florida each week. We will consult with you by phone as soon as you fill our our online new-patient form so you can ask the basic questions about your situation---before you travel to Tampa for any in-person evaluation. If you don't need an operation, we are happy to tell you this too. We make your thyroid surgery straightforward, simple, safe, and successful because this is all we do. This page will tell you how to have your operation with Dr Suh (or Dr Clayman if robotic scarless surgery is not appropriate for you), what it costs, how the process works, and what you can expect.

The Suh Scarless Thyroid Surgery Center is America's leading robotic and transoral scarless thyroid surgery center with some of the world's most experienced personnel dedicated to thyroid and thyroid cancer surgery. This is the only thing we do.

All thyroid operations are performed by some of the most highly experienced thyroid surgeons in the world. Dr Suh is one of four experienced thyroid surgeons in our practice (and among 10 total endocrine surgeons). Our surgeons are the only surgeons we know of in the world that limits their practice to thyroid surgery and thyroid cancer surgery. Our surgeons do not do breast biopsies, gallbladders, and obesity surgery. We do not put tubes in kids ears or take out tonsils. We do not treat any other types of head and neck cancer.

Because of our expertise, people from all over the US and many other countries travel to Tampa to have thyroid surgery. Our publications have established the standard of surgical excellence and control of persistent/recurrent papillary thyroid cancer and even aggressive/invasive thyroid cancers. Importantly, we do not have students or surgery residents or fellows performing any thyroid operations (this is important to you). There is no way to perform this quality of surgery while having a surgeon in training being the person performing the operation. Click here to read more about Dr. Hyun Suh.

We will help arrange all aspects of your care except the travel. Typically, a patient can fly to Tampa, have their thyroid surgery, and return home in the same time that he/she would be in the hospital if a standard thyroid operation was performed someplace else. Many of our patients are able to go home within a few hours of the operation. Others are able to go home (or to their hotel) the following morning.

You do NOT need a Referral for Thyroid Surgery or Robotic Thyroid Surgery

Most insurance companies do not require a referral from another doctor to have robotic or transoral thyroid surgery. You do not need an endocrinologist referral for thyroid surgery. If you have an endocrinologist, that is wonderful and Dr. Suh will communicate all of your tests, results, surgical findings, pathology report and any additional indications for treatment. If you do not have an endocrinologist, we have the ability to refer you to one of our many colleagues throughout the country and world to have quality follow up at home. Our goal here is for you to have your evaluation, consults with our surgeon(s), operation... everything done in one visit.

Contact us by phone: You can ask a question of Dr Suh's staff by emailing them at scheduling@thyroidancer.com. You can email them any time at your convenience. Additionally, you are also welcome to contact us at 813 940-3130. You can also email Dr Suh directly using the form that is on this page and many other pages of this website.

What Does Scarless Thyroid Surgery Cost?

The Cost of Robotic Thyroid Surgery, or, Trans-Oral Thyroid Surgery

There are two primary categories of fees to consider:

1) the Online Second Opinion Consultation with Dr Suh.
2) the operation itself.

We are in-network for most major health plans (and many minor ones) which will cover the cost of the operation. Almost all will cover in-person, face-to-face consults. This means the operation itself will be covered by almost all insurance companies.

The fee for our Second Opinion Online Consultation service is as follows:

Second Opinion Consultations are not a covered service for any insurance companies we know of, thus you can come into the office for an in-person consultation which is covered by almost all insurances, or you can elect to have a Second Opinion Consultation online with Dr Suh. Electing for a second opinion consultation online means you will be responsible for the cost, which is:
• Florida residents: $750
• Out of state residents: $1,500

If you have a typical healthcare plan, we will collect the consultation fee from you like we would collect a deductable. We will bill your insurance at that time. If your insurance pays for the Online Second Opinion Consult, then we will reimburse you this fee (but very few will pay this--you are not an established patient and this is an expert second opinion). Also, if you come for an office visit, your insurance will almost always cover the cost. Remember, if you have a Second Opinion Online Consult, you will spend time with Dr Suh the morning of surgery.

What does the Online Second Opinion Consultation service entail?

Our practice makes it easier for patients and their physicians to access world-renowned parathyroid specialists without the need for travel. In the time it would take you to travel for an in-person appointment with a specialist in Tampa and receive their diagnosis and recommendations, your Online Second Opinion Consultation could already be completed. This allows our patients to save the time and travel expenses of multiple trips to Tampa. With our online Second Opinion Consultation, Dr Suh will speak with you after a review of your clinical records. Dr Suh will discuss your medical condition with you and answer any questions you may have. You (and your doctor) will then recieve a very nicely organized summary of your condition, complete with our recommendations and scientific references--this is typically between 8 and 9 pages.

Confused? Don't be! You will be assigned to Sara (one of our coordinators) who will be your contact person throughout this process. We will collect your records and tests, organize your chart, and Dr Suh will determine if you are a good candidate for scarless thyroid surgery, and which type of scarless operation is in your best interest. If your case is difficult, or you have a large thyroid cancer, Dr Suh will work with Dr Gary Clayman and discuss your case.

What if I want an in-person exam and consultation in Tampa, instead of the online medical opinion consultation?

The majority of our patients elect to obtain an Online Second Opinion Consultation because of the convenience and immediacy it offers, and because they can avoid making travel arrangements to and from Tampa for that consult. However, if you prefer to travel to Tampa for an in-person exam and consult, that is always an option; simply request it from our office staff. We will schedule you for a time when an in-person exam and consult is available. In-person exams and consults are typically covered by insurance plans. All patients have the right to come to Tampa for an in-person consultation and in that situation the online medical opinion consultation fee would not apply. Our goal is to take care of you and get you better. Our clinic is located at 5959 Webb Road, Tampa, FL 33615.

Patients from Other Countries / and Patients Without Insurance

We operate on patients from Canada and other countries weekly. The total cost if you do not have insurance and must pay for your parathyroid operation out of pocket is very affordable. We do not publish our price schedule online but you can discuss this with our office staff over thee phone. Our rates are cheaper than any other hospital (because of volume). We will provide a total fee that includes the consultation fee, chart prep, surgeon fee, anesthesia, anesthesiologist, imaging, hospital, laboratory, operating room, operating room team, and recovery room. Everything except travel and hotel. We believe this is the least expensive parathyroid surgery cost in North America.

Waiting Lists - When Can You Have Surgery by the World's Most Experienced Surgeons?

We perform thyroid surgery 3-4 days per week and robotic thyroid surgery 3 days per week. The entire process from the time of submission of the online form to an operation varies. Most people will get through the entire process in about 2 to 3 weeks, but this depends a lot on how fast we can get records. The slowest part of the process is almost always getting your medical records sent to us. If you have copies of the written ultrasound report and biopsy report (the two items we need the most), you can speed up the process significantly by emailing or faxing us your records (you will be contacted by a patient coordinator by email after submitting your records, and your coordinator will tell you where to send them). If you send us all of the records that we need, we can get you through for a consultation much faster.

Click Here to read what patients say about having surgery by Dr. Suh at the Suh Scarless Thyroid Surgery. When you return home, you see your doctor or endocrinologist in 1-2 month's time. There are no stitches to take out (they all dissolve). You can shower and return to most normal activites the next day. We will provide you a pre-printed lab slip to get your blood tested in a month or two and will send the results of this test directly to all of your doctors. We will communicate directly with all of your doctors who will be sent detailed information about your thyroid operation--they will have all your pertinent records before you see them a month or two after the operation. Your doctors will also get a personal letter describing what was done and they will get a photo of the removed thyroid tumor and detailed pathology report. The best part of course, is that the most common thyroid cancer surgeries performed by our team have a cure rate of nearly 99%, the risk of complications is extremely low (far less than one percent risk), the incision is generally very small (usually about 1 inch) and postoperative pain is very little (usually lasts only a few hours).

All of our patients get only the exact surgery they require. It may be a minimally invasive thyroidectomy with an incision about an inch in length. It may be a surgery to remove thyroid cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes of the side of the neck. The surgery may change based upon findings during the evaluation or findings during surgery. This is truly personalized care. The right surgery for you and for the cure of your thyroid cancer. We decide on the extent of surgery based upon your Thyroid Center comprehensive evaluation and findings during surgery- this is the only way to assure that you receive the exact operation you require to address all of your disease! Please read this again, this is what confuses the most people. And yes, we will take care of any worrisome findings during your operation- we do this this all the time.