I just had my thyroid removed to treat cancer. Should I avoid chicken because I read a lot of information that chicken causes keloid scars? (Hong Thom, 45 years old, Can Tho)
Wound recovery occurs in three stages, including inflammatory response, cell proliferation and tissue regeneration. The three stages last about 3-6 months.
Scar formation depends on the level of damage and the healing process. If all factors involved in the wound healing process are favorable, the wound will leave a small and faint scar. On the contrary, the wound can form bad scars (hypertrophic scars, keloid scars, concave scars).
There are many causes of hypertrophic scars such as infection, foreign objects, and dirt in the wound. Injuries that are not treated properly can also easily form hypertrophic scars. Keloid scars are often caused by physical factors, even if the wound is properly treated and cared for, there is still a high risk of keloid scarring.
Chicken contains a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals, is easy to digest and absorb. Supplementing enough protein every day helps patients improve their health and fight fatigue and physical loss. Currently, there is no research proving that eating chicken causes keloid scars.
After thyroid cancer surgery, patients should eat a variety of foods, ensuring nutrition for the wound healing process, recovering health, strengthening the immune system, and preventing infection.
Patients do not need to abstain from any foods. In case treatment with radioactive iodine is needed, before and while taking radioactive iodine, you should not consume foods containing iodine such as iodized salt, seafood, or cabbage. After radiotherapy, patients should eat normally but need to limit iodized salt because excess iodine increases the risk of thyroid cancer recurrence.
During the first week after thyroid cancer surgery, the patient’s neck may be swollen, stiff, and numb. This condition decreases as the wound heals and closes. When your neck hurts, you should eat soft, easy-to-swallow foods. If you have trouble swallowing, you can drink plenty of water during and after meals.
Avoiding swimming is also a note after this surgery. Because the wound needs to be kept dry for 7-14 days for the healing process to proceed smoothly. Limit combat sports that use a lot of force such as soccer, volleyball, basketball… for about a month to avoid causing the wound in the neck to become sutured and cracked.
To prevent hypertrophic scars and limit keloid scars, patients should wash the wound with physiological saline or antiseptic solution, remove foreign objects (hair, feathers…). Do not bandage the wound tightly or loosely. If the wound is unusual or you feel uneasy, you should see a surgeon immediately for proper care.