Thyroid Nodules & Early Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid surgery is one of the operations Shanghai's head-and-neck and general surgery departments perform in very large numbers. A clear diagnosis comes first, so you only have surgery if you need it.
Who it is for
Patients with a thyroid nodule that is suspicious, growing or causing symptoms, or with an early thyroid cancer diagnosis.
How it is done
Ultrasound and, where needed, a fine-needle biopsy establish what the nodule is. If surgery is recommended, part or all of the thyroid is removed. Some patients take thyroid hormone afterwards, which your doctor at home can continue.
Your time in Shanghai
Includes ultrasound and biopsy review, surgery and a wound check before you fly. Your specialist confirms the exact timeline in the evaluation.
What this treatment typically costs.
United States vs China
US: thyroidectomy · China: hospital treatment for nodular goitre
For reference only. Figures come from the published sources cited and vary with the hospital, the implant or lens chosen, and your condition. China figures are public-hospital averages; fees in hospital international departments are higher. The two sides are measured differently and show direction, not an exact like-for-like price. Your actual cost is determined by the specialist after reviewing your case.
Sources: US: MDsave's estimated national average price for thyroidectomy, before insurance; pre-arranged self-pay packages on the same site average $11,100 (MDsave, November 2026); China: average total hospital stay cost, hospitals run by China's National Health Commission, 2023 (RMB 16,775) (China Health Statistics Yearbook 2024).
The hospitals we work with for this treatment.
Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center
- More than 7,600 thyroid cancer operations in 2021, one of the largest volumes in China and Asia — Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center
Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- More than 3,000 thyroid cancer operations a year, with endoscopic surgery and radiofrequency ablation available — Zhongshan Hospital
- International Medical Department; one of Shanghai's 13 designated international medical tourism pilot hospitals — Shanghai Municipal Government
How we take you from evaluation to follow-up.
Specialist evaluation
From $350. A senior specialist reviews your medical records and tells you how long you would need to stay in China, when surgery could take place, and an estimate of the cost.
A plan built around you
We turn the specialist's advice into a written plan: which hospital, which doctor, which dates, and what to bring.
Travel planning
We help you plan the whole trip, from your arrival in Shanghai to the day you fly home.
Every appointment, accompanied
A professional medical interpreter is beside you at every important medical conversation, and we provide English translations of your medical records.
Surgery day
We are with you from admission to discharge on the day of your operation, and stay in contact with the ward throughout your recovery.
Specialist follow-up at home
After you return home, we arrange professional follow-up with your specialist, so your recovery stays in the hands of the team that treated you.
Start with a specialist evaluation, from $350.
Send your records. The specialist tells you how long you would stay in Shanghai, when surgery could take place, and what it is likely to cost. Then you decide.