Thyroid Center
The Thyroid Center of Long Island® was created to be the first solely dedicated center for comprehensive diagnoses and treatment of thyroid diseases on Long Island, thus giving our patients the finest care in a centralized location.
The experts at TCLI have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating hyper and hypothyroid conditions, and provide a single-day evaluation of thyroid nodules. TCLI employs Suffolk’s only fellowship-trained head & neck Surgical Oncologist, as well as an onsite nutritionist. We also offer educational seminars.
What is The Thyroid Gland?
The Thyroid Gland is located in the neck and consists of two lobes which sit to the right and the left of the trachea. The Thyroid produces a hormone called thyroxine which controls the body’s metabolism, determines the rate at which the heart moves, and the movement of the gastrointestinal tract. Thyroxine affects bone loss as well as how the body makes and uses sugar.
Physical Exam
Our physicians will start by giving you a thorough history and physical. Next, we examine the neck for lumps or large lymph nodes.
Blood Testing
Thyroid function blood tests include checking levels of the hormone, calcitonin, thyroid antibodies, and calcium.
Thyroid Ultrasound
Ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of the Thyroid and the lymph nodes and can help to tell whether a nodule is more likely to be cancerous.
Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Biopsy
We perform onsite thyroid biopsies with immediate evaluation by a Pathologist. A biopsy is the only sure way to diagnose thyroid cancer. A very fine needle removes a sample of the tissue, guided by an ultrasound. A board-certified Pathologist checks the samples for cancer cells with a microscope.
Surgery
Patients with biopsy findings that are suspicious or positive of cancer will be evaluated by a Thyroid Head & Neck Surgeon. Different treatments options are available and individualized for each patient.
DR. JOHN FRANCFORT , MD, FACS
DR. JOHN FRANCFORT is a vascular surgeon affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center and Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center-Suffern. He received his medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
Dr. Francfort is the Chair and Chief of the Department of Surgery Good Samaritan Medical Center, West Islip, NY, and Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery. He is the Past President American College of Surgeons – Long Island Chapter as well as the Past President Of the Medical Board Good Samaritan Medical Center.
Dr. Arnbjorn Toset, MD, FACS
Dr. Toset is a general surgeon with a special interest in head and neck surgery. He completed his fellowship training in head and neck/thyroid surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Toset offers patients with thyroid, parathyroid and other head and neck tumors highly specialized care in a community setting. Collaborating with primary care physicians, endocrinologists, oncologists, and radiation oncologists, he works to provide the best continuation of care for his patients. He also offers a broad spectrum of general surgery to all his patients.
Dr. M. Akhtar Cheema, MD
Dr. Cheema is Board Certified in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology, and Cytopathology. Currently, he is serving as the Chairman and Medical Director of Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. Prior to that, he served as Chairman and Medical Director of Pathology at Saint Clare’s Health System in New Jersey. He also worked at NYU-Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn and St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York. He has more than 20 years of experience working with a high volume of surgical pathology and cytopathology material including Fine Needle Aspirations (FNA’s).
Dr. Cheema completed his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Cheema completed his fellowship in cytopathology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland where he gained extensive experience in Fine Needle Aspirations (FNA’s).
Dr. Cheema is the author of numerous peer-review publications.
Benefits of a Preoperative Surgery Evaluation...
Signs of a Hypo Thyroid Condition
- Excessive Weight Gain with a Poor Appetite
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Intolerance to the Cold
- Weakness, Muscle Aches or Joint Pain
- Hoarseness
- Brittle Nails or Dry Skin
- Menstrual Irregularities
- Anemia
- Confusion, Depression, Memory Lapse, Dementia or Seizures
Signs of a Hyper Thyroid Condition
- High blood pressure
- Headaches
- Shortness of Breath
- Chest Pains, Palpitations or Tremors
- Weakness, Insomnia, Anxiety or Irritability
- Disorders of the Eye
- Intolerance to the Heat
