Brochures & Resources

In this short Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains what the thyroid is, where it is located in the neck, and what it does. Using a visual model, Dr Hall describes the thyroid’s butterfly shape, its position alongside the trachea, and how it produces thyroid hormones that play an important role in the body.

This video is a helpful introduction for anyone wanting to understand the basics of the thyroid gland in clear, simple terms.

In this short Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains thyroid function and the vital role thyroid hormones play in the body. Dr Hall outlines the two key thyroid hormones — T4 and T3 — and discusses why they are essential for cell growth, development, and metabolic regulation.

This video is a clear introduction for anyone wanting to better understand how the thyroid supports normal body function.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains how thyroid hormone is made and the key building blocks involved. He outlines the role of thyroglobulin and iodine, and how tyrosine — an amino acid derived from protein-rich foods — contributes to thyroid hormone production.

This video is a helpful overview for anyone wanting to understand the nutritional and biological foundations of thyroid hormone in simple, easy-to-follow terms.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains why the thyroid is so important for overall health and wellbeing. He discusses how thyroid hormone supports cellular development and differentiation, regulates metabolism, and what can happen when the body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone.

This video highlights the serious consequences of untreated thyroid hormone deficiency, helping viewers understand why thyroid health is essential.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains the main types of thyroid problems and how they can affect the body. He outlines the four key issues seen in thyroid disease, including overactive and underactive thyroid hormone production, thyroid lumps (both benign and cancerous), thyroid swelling in the neck, and thyroid inflammation.

This video provides a straightforward overview to help viewers understand the most common thyroid conditions and why they matter.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall discusses who is most at risk of thyroid problems. He explains how thyroid conditions are significantly more common in women, how risk increases with age, why thyroid problems are uncommon in young people, and how ethnicity can influence risk.

This video provides a helpful overview of the demographics and risk factors associated with thyroid disease.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains the symptoms of thyroid problems and how they can vary between individuals. He outlines why some people may have no symptoms at all, the common signs of too much thyroid hormone (such as heat intolerance, weight loss, tremors, anxiety, and palpitations), and the symptoms of too little thyroid hormone, including fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, and a slow heart rate.

Dr Hall also discusses thyroid lumps and enlargement, explaining how they can cause pressure in the neck, breathing difficulties, swallowing problems, or voice changes when the thyroid presses on nearby structures.

This video provides a practical overview to help viewers recognise thyroid-related symptoms and warning signs.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains thyroid problems during pregnancy and why, although uncommon, they can be serious. He discusses normal thyroid enlargement during pregnancy, when an enlarged thyroid can cause breathing problems, and what this means for expectant mothers.

Dr Hall also covers postpartum thyroiditis, explaining how inflammation of the thyroid can occur in the months following childbirth, sometimes causing the thyroid to become overactive and then underactive, and how underactive thyroid function can be treated with thyroid hormone tablets.

This video provides helpful information for understanding thyroid health during and after pregnancy.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains thyroid examinations and when someone may need further assessment or treatment. He outlines the symptoms that prompt a thyroid exam, including thyroid enlargement or lumps, and walks through what he reviews before seeing a patient, such as scans, blood tests, and biopsy results.

Dr Hall also describes what happens during a clinical thyroid examination — from discussing family history and radiation exposure, to examining the neck, listening to the voice and breathing, and checking the vocal cords using a small scope.

This video offers a helpful overview of what to expect during a thyroid assessment.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains the most common investigations used in thyroid examinations. He covers thyroid blood tests, ultrasound scans, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, outlining what each test is used for and what patients can expect.

Dr Hall explains how thyroid blood tests assess whether the thyroid is overactive or underactive and whether a patient is on the correct dose of thyroid hormone. He also describes how ultrasound scans are used to examine the thyroid gland, and how fine needle aspiration is performed to sample thyroid lumps for laboratory analysis.

This video provides a helpful overview of thyroid testing and diagnostic procedures.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains the most common thyroid diseases. He outlines the key conditions that affect the thyroid, including thyroid lumps, an enlarged thyroid gland, an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), and an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).

This video provides a simple overview to help viewers understand the main types of thyroid disease and the terminology commonly used by clinicians.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall outlines the most common treatments for thyroid conditions. He explains the range of treatment options available, including thyroid surgery, ethanol ablation, radiofrequency ablation, radioactive iodine, and thyroid medication.

This video provides a straightforward overview of the different approaches used to treat thyroid disease, helping viewers understand the options that may be discussed during treatment planning.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains the most common thyroid medications and what they are used for. He covers medications prescribed for both underactive and overactive thyroid conditions, outlining how each works and when it may be used.

Dr Hall discusses thyroxine (T4) for patients with an underactive thyroid or after thyroid removal, medications used to treat an overactive thyroid such as carbimazole and PTU, the role of T3 (Cytomel), and thyrogen, a thyroid-stimulating hormone sometimes used in the management of thyroid cancer.

This video provides a clear overview of thyroid medication options and their clinical uses.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall answers common patient questions about thyroid surgery. He addresses key concerns including the need for thyroid medication after surgery, potential skin scarring, changes to the voice, recovery time, and overall health following thyroid surgery.

Dr Hall explains that many people take thyroid tablets and feel well, and that dose adjustments or medication changes can usually resolve symptoms. He also discusses surgical scarring, advances in surgical and non-surgical techniques that improve cosmetic outcomes, and why choosing an experienced thyroid surgeon matters. Voice changes are also covered, including why they occur, how long they typically last, and when longer-term changes may indicate nerve injury to the larynx (voice box).

This video provides reassurance and practical insight for patients considering or recovering from thyroid surgery.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall answers common patient questions about thyroid surgery, focusing on recovery time and long-term health after surgery. He explains what patients can expect during recovery, including time off work, throat soreness, wound tightness, and when most people feel fully recovered.

Dr Hall also discusses overall health after partial or total thyroid removal, explaining that most patients feel completely normal once they recover. He outlines when thyroid medication is required, including the need for daily thyroid tablets after complete thyroid removal.

This video provides reassurance and practical guidance for patients preparing for or recovering from thyroid surgery.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains the main types of thyroid cancer and how they differ in behaviour and outcomes. He discusses well-differentiated thyroid cancers — papillary and follicular — which generally have excellent long-term outcomes with appropriate treatment, and how they appear and behave differently.

Dr Hall also explains how untreated papillary thyroid cancer commonly spreads to lymph nodes in the neck, while follicular thyroid cancer may spread to distant organs such as the lungs, liver, or bones. He then covers the less common but more serious forms: medullary thyroid cancer, which can run in families, and anaplastic thyroid cancer, a rare but highly aggressive disease.

This video provides a clear overview to help viewers understand thyroid cancer types and patterns of spread.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains the main surgical options for thyroid disease. He outlines the two primary approaches to thyroid surgery: removing half of the thyroid gland (partial thyroidectomy) and removing the entire thyroid gland (total thyroidectomy).

Dr Hall explains when each option is appropriate, depending on whether thyroid disease affects one side or both sides of the gland. He also provides an example, noting that in conditions such as goitre, the recommended operation is usually removal of the entire thyroid gland.

This video offers a clear overview of thyroid surgery decision-making.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall discusses non-surgical treatments for thyroid disease and compares them with surgical options. He explains the benefits of thyroid surgery, including symptom relief and reassurance about cancer, as well as the potential downsides such as the need for thyroid tablets, ongoing blood tests, possible complications, and scarring.

Dr Hall then outlines the main non-surgical thyroid treatments, including radiofrequency ablation, ethanol ablation, radioactive iodine, and thyroid medication, helping viewers understand the alternatives to surgery.

This video provides a balanced overview of surgical and non-surgical thyroid treatment options.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains thyroid radiofrequency ablation (RFA) — a modern, non-surgical treatment for thyroid nodules. He describes how ultrasound guidance is used to place a probe into a thyroid nodule, where radiofrequency energy destroys the targeted cells while preserving healthy thyroid tissue.

Dr Hall outlines the key benefits of thyroid RFA, including that it is scarless, performed under local anaesthetic, and allows patients to return to work the following day. He also explains which patients may be suitable for RFA, including those with small to medium-sized symptomatic nodules and selected very small thyroid cancers.

This video provides an overview of thyroid RFA, a treatment that is newer to New Zealand but increasingly used internationally.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains thyroid ethanol ablation, a non-surgical treatment for thyroid cysts. He describes how highly concentrated medical-grade ethanol is injected into a thyroid cyst to treat it directly, while preserving surrounding healthy thyroid tissue.

Dr Hall outlines the benefits of ethanol ablation, including that it is scarless, performed under local anaesthetic, and carried out in a clinic setting. He also explains who this procedure is suitable for, noting that it is an effective option for most patients with thyroid cysts.

This video provides a clear overview of thyroid ethanol ablation as a minimally invasive treatment option.

In this Q&A video, Dr Francis Hall explains molecular testing for thyroid cancer and how it is used to assess thyroid nodules. He describes how ultrasound guidance is used to sample a thyroid nodule and how the collected tissue is analysed for DNA and RNA changes linked to genetic and chromosomal abnormalities associated with thyroid cancer.

Dr Hall explains how molecular testing can help avoid unnecessary surgery by ruling out cancer with greater confidence, particularly in patients with indeterminate fine needle aspiration (FNA) results (Bethesda category III or IV). He also notes that this testing is available in New Zealand.

This video provides a clear overview of molecular testing as an advanced diagnostic tool in thyroid cancer assessment.