what the surgery is like

The operation takes about 2-3 hours. They'll remove all or part of the thyroid (all if it's cancerous) and the surrounding lymph nodes, which are swollen.

the risks are pretty minimal:

• nerve damage, which could cause a permanently hoarse voice (that's what happened to Julie Andrews)
• damage to surrounding tissues that regulate calcium intake (this would mean having to take daily calcium supplements)
• internal bleeding

All of the above happen in 1-2% of cases.