Maite Inchaussandague

IR I (2nd period) 11AP

Dec. 8, 2019

Interview 11.20.19
Interviewer: Maite Inchaussandague (student)
Interviewee: Dr. Gustavo Restrepo
Interview Setting: Interview conducted in personal office in his own house. The interview was
conducted at 3:00 pm on Saturday.
Affiliation with the Interviewee: Dr. Restrepo is my step-grandfather, and he is a general
surgeon. He has operated the thyroid gland to many patients throughout his career, and his
knowledge about thyroid diseases are directly related with his experience operating thyroids
affected by the thyroid cancer. In addition, I he is a great example for me, and I aspire to be as
good and passionate as him in my career in the future.
(Start of Interview)
Interviewer: What is your specialty field in surgery?
Interviewee: I am a general surgeon, so I mostly focus on the abdominal organs and on the
thyroid gland.
Interviewer: Where did you study your career in medicine?
Interviewee: Well, I studied in Medellin, Colombia, for six years, and then I came to the United
States and did my residency.
Interviewer: Were you born in Colombia or in the United States?
Interviewee: I was born in Colombia and moved to the U.S. when I was 25 years old.
Interviewer: What differences did you identify between Colombia and the United States in
terms of the medical procedures and the hospitals?
Interviewee: Medicine is universal, and therefore the procedures don’t greatly differ from each
other. Regarding to the hospitals, I believe that the hospitals in the U.S. are in better conditions
because of the more developed economy, whereas in Colombia the state doesn’t have enough
resources to invest in the buildings.
Interviewer: And what differences are there regarding the education in both countries?
Interviewee: The education in medicine is amazing in the United States, as well as in Colombia,
the only difference is that in Colombia college is free, and therefore I studied there and didn’t
spend too much money while receiving a very good education.

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Interviewer: How did you manage with the different language and hospital system to come
and finish your career in medicine in the United States?
Interviewee: When I was studying medicine in Colombia, I studied English at the same time,
and I tried to translate most of medical terms that I learnt. It was a big transition when I came to
the U.S., but I am passionate about what I do, and I was confident with my knowledge on the
human body and specifically on surgery.
Interviewer: What hospitals did you work at in the United States?
Interviewee: Oh, that’s a very important question, be ready to take notes. I have worked in ten
different hospitals: Province Hospital (Washington D.C.), Washington A. Hospital (Montgomery
County), Holy Cross (Montgomery County), Shady Grove Hospital (Montgomery County),
Montgomery General Hospital (Montgomery County), Doctors Hospital (Prince George’s
County), P.G. Hospital (Prince George’s Hospital), Laurel Hospital (Prince George’s County),
Southern Maryland Hospital (Prince George’s County), and two more than do not exist today
because they have been transferred to other states.
Interviewer: As a general surgeon, have you ever operated the thyroid gland?
Interviewee: Yes, I have operated the thyroid of many patients per year.
Interviewer: What is the major cause of a thyroid surgery?
Interviewee: Most of the patients I operated where previously diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
There are many types of cancer, but papillary and follicular are the most common ones.
Interviewer: What direct symptoms does cancer have on the thyroid?
Interviewee: As cancer grows the patient can have a lump that can be felt through the skin on
your neck, it can change their voice, they can have difficulty swallowing, and they usually suffer
pain in their neck and throat.
Interviewer: Have you ever operated a patient with Hashimoto’s disease?
Interviewee: It can be possible that a patient has had Hashimoto’s disease and thyroid cancer,
but I have never treated a patient because of Hashimoto's disease, because the thyroid does not
get destroyed because of hypothyroidism but most definitely because of hyperthyroidism. When
the pituitary gland forces the thyroid to produce more hormones than what the body needs, the
thyroid overstressed and can hurt itself, since Hashimoto’s disease is autoimmune.
Interviewer: What is the procedure for the operation of thyroid cancer?
Interviewee: Usually we perform a thyroidectomy, which is a procedure to remove all or part of
the thyroid gland.
Interviewer: What are some of the complication of a thyroid surgery?
Interviewee: If the surgeon takes more of the thyroid than what it should, or touch the other
nerves close to the gland, it can cause collateral problems for the patient. For example, if the

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parathyroid glands are completely removed, then the person would not produce any more
calcium; or if the laryngeal nerves are extracted, the patient can suffer problems to eat and to
talk. Some of the complications can lead to a tracheotomy and make an incision on the trachea.
Interviewer: How long do patients need to recover from the surgery?
Interviewee: They are usually ready to leave the hospital the day after surgery, unless they had
any complications and, in that case, they must stay longer in order to recover.
Interviewer: What type of medicine does the patient have to take in order to have the
necessary hormones for the body without the thyroid?
Interviewee: Most of my patients are prescribed with 80/100 mcg of levothyroxine, which are
pills with the hormones that the thyroid normally produces (T3 and T4).
Interviewer: When I told my peers about Hashimoto’s disease and other thyroid diseases,
they were not aware of their symptoms or even about the thyroid functions. Do you
personally think there is a lack of education about the different thyroid diseases?
Interviewee: The people who suffer a thyroid malfunction or who have family members who are
aware of the symptoms, but I agree with you in the fact that the rest of the people don’t know
about what occurs when the thyroid gland is not producing the average amount of hormones for
our body.
Interviewer: What recommendations would you make in order to promote the education
about thyroid diseases?
Interviewee: It is very easy to identify a thyroid malfunction guided by the results of TSH in a
blood test, and I think that people should run tests every year, even if they are not feeling any
symptoms of a thyroid disease. On the other hand, it is important to know the functions of the
thyroid and think about what we eat and our lifestyle, because that can affect our mood and body
functions, primarily regulated by the hormones produced by the thyroid. Therefore, basic
education about the thyroid should be emphasized in high school, and many campaigns could
promote the fight against thyroid cancer. In addition, I am aware of various organizations that
provide help and information for people who ask about the thyroid diseases or who want to get
checked by an endocrinologist. I really like your interest and commitment with this research
project, and I support your cause to create awareness and education about such a small but
important gland in the human body: they thyroid gland.
Interviewer: Thank you so much for your time.
Interviewee: My pleasure and let me know if you have further questions for your research
project.

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 Maite Inchaussandague
IR I (2nd period) 11AP
Dec. 17, 2019

Interview 12.18.19
Interviewer: Maite Inchaussandague (student)
Interviewee: Dr. Mariano Passerieu
Interview Setting: Interview conducted through Skype on Monday December 16 , at 16:00 p.m.
th

(the interview was made in Spanish and translated to English). 

Affiliation with the Interviewee: Dr. Mariano Passerieu is the endocrinologist who treated me
on 2017 when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. 
(Start of Interview)
Interviewer: What is your medical specialty?
Interviewee: I am an endocrinologist, and I have been working and treating patients for more
than 20 years. 
Interviewer: Where did you study your career in medicine?
Interviewee: I studied in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The career was pretty long, 6 years in total,
and they were totally worth it. The experience you gain throughout the years is amazing, and the
training on the field gets you ready to treat patients on a daily basis.
Interviewer: Were you born in Argentina? Have you ever thought about studying medicine
abroad?
Interviewee: Yes, I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I considered studying abroad at
one point, but I decided to study in Argentina because the medical school is very good, and many
famous doctors have succeeded after studying there. 
Interviewer: Have you ever been to the United States? In case that you did, have you
visited any hospitals in the U.S.? What differences did you identify between the hospitals in
the U.S. and the ones in Argentina? 
Interviewee: I did go to the U.S. and I have been to some hospitals there, and what I can say is
that in general they are better maintained in terms of the building and its location. Popular
hospitals like Walter Reed or Johns Hopkins Hospital are bigger and more organized than in
Argentina. However, the most known hospitals in Argentina, such as Maria Curie in Buenos
Aires, have a very well-trained staff, and the doctors have achieved various medical goals. 
Interviewer: Are there any differences between the way doctors treat Hashimoto’s disease
or any other thyroid disease in the U.S. compared to Argentina?
Interviewee: Well, the treatment depends on the thyroid disease and on its stage of development,
but the medicine doctors give for hyperthyroidism and for hyperthyroidism, the two majors
thyroid disfunctions, is the same. For example, in the case of hypothyroidism, the patients are

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ordered to take levothyroxine, but its quantity depends on the gravity of the disease, and how
many hormones the body needs on a daily basis. 
Interviewer: Would you explain more about the levothyroxine as a medicine used to treat
hypothyroidism?
Interviewee: Yes, of course. So basically, the levothyroxine is a manufactured form of the
thyroid hormone thyroxine. Therefore, it is used to replace a hormone normally produced by the
thyroid gland to regulate the body's energy and metabolism. Levothyroxine is given when your
thyroid does not produce enough of this hormone on its own, which is the case of
hypothyroidism. 
Interviewer: Does levothyroxine have any side or secondary effects? 
Interviewee: Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. In case of
sensitivity to heat, mood changes, tiredness, headache, shortness of breath, or bone pain, the
patient should call a doctor right away, and help the patient to get used to the medicine as the
body responds to it in several ways. 
Interviewer: I have an idea of the intake of this medicine because I have to take it every day
when I wake up, but could you explain more about the daily the use of levothyroxine for a
patient with hypothyroidism? 
Interviewee: Patients take this medication by mouth usually once daily on an empty stomach, 30
minutes to 1 hour before breakfast. It may be taken by first mixing it in water, directly without
water. The dosage is based on your age, weight, medical condition, and response to treatment.
Moreover, the patient should not stop taking this medication without consulting his or her
doctor. 
Interviewer: What is it necessary to do for the treatment in addition to take the medicine? 
Interviewee: Lab and medical tests should be done while you are taking the medication. This is
why it is very important to keep all medical and lab appointments, in order to see how the
thyroid reacts to the medicine, levothyroxine. 
 
Interviewer: What happens if you miss a dose? 
 
Interviewee: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the
next dose, skip the missed dose. I recommend taking your next dose at the regular time so that
you establish it as part of your routine, and it is easier to remember. Do not double the dose to
catch up unless your doctor tells you to do so. Patients can call your doctor if they miss 2 or
more doses in a row, and he or she will give you certain directions to catch up. 
 
Interviewer: Since Hashimoto’s disease is the main cause of hypothyroidism in the U.S., is
the intake of levothyroxine the only viable treatment? And could this disease be prevented?
Interviewee: There is a single treatment for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and that’s the thyroid
hormone replacement therapy, which is as mentioned before, levothyroxine. In response to the
second question, unfortunately, there is no known way to prevent Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

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Interviewer: What is the difference between hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s?

Interviewee: Well as you know, hypothyroidism is a condition associated with a lack of thyroid
hormone, while Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that results in the immune system
damaging the thyroid.  
Interviewer: Thank you so much for your time Dr. Passerieu. You have taught me
everything you know, and I am so grateful to have you as my advisor for my research
project.
Interviewee: Yes of course, anytime you need Maite, I am here for you. I hope the interview is
useful for your research class and your research paper. 

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 Maite Inchaussandague
IR I /11AP
Jan. 24, 2019

Interview 11.20.19: Reflection

The interview with Dr. Gustavo Restrepo helped me to gather information about the

thyroid gland based on his personal experience, and after I asked him multiple questions, I had

the opportunity to get to know his career better. When it comes to medicine, according to Dr.

Restrepo, it is not the same to study the functions of the thyroid gland than to make a surgery on

one, since there can be many complications and it can severely affect the patient’s lifestyle. Any

surgery is disruptive to the body and takes a time of recovering depending on each case.

Furthermore, it is important that people are aware of Hashimoto’s disease, because there is a

possibility that they develop hypothyroidism after a hyperthyroidism period, which is when the

thyroid can get destroyed, and the patient would need surgery.  

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 Maite Inchaussandague
IR I (2nd period) 11AP
Dec. 17, 2019

Interview 12.18.19: Reflection

The interview with Dr. Mariano Passerieu was very comfortable to do because he speaks

in Spanish and it was very easy for me to understand complex terms and biological processes

that occur on the thyroid gland when it is suffering from Hashimoto’s disease. Besides from the

language, he has a very special way of explaining things, and he made different sketches and

drawings to show me the functions of the thyroid, and what happens with the hormones it

produces, as they disperse all over the body to make the metabolism faster, depending on the

quantity of them (T3 and T4). Furthermore, he is a very credible source of information, since he

has 20 years of experience on the field and had more than a 100 patients with Hashimoto’s

disease. Dr. Passerieu is also my endocrinologist, and he explained to me a lot of things about

Hashimoto’s disease when he diagnosed me with it. Finally, as my advisor, he has provided me

with multiple medical articles to utilize for my research, and they are all written in Spanish, so it

is very easy for me to understand and continue doing my research project.