Endocrine disorders can impact many areas of patient health and daily life. Providers at MaineHealth offer expertise and experience in treating endocrine disorders with surgery.
What is endocrine surgery?
Endocrine surgery is the surgical treatment of endocrine diseases. Endocrinologists and endocrine surgeons typically work closely together to provide the best care to patients afflicted with endocrine disorders. Some endocrine disorders treated with endocrine surgery include:
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Diabetes
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Cushing’s syndrome
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Grave’s disease
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Hyperthyroidism
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Hypothyroidism
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Parathyroid carcinoma
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Adrenal cancer
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Thyroid cancer
Endocrine surgery types
The type of endocrine surgery to be performed depends on the patient’s health condition and the part of the endocrine system affected. Some endocrine surgeries include:
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Adrenalectomy - removal of the entire adrenal gland.
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Parathyroidectomy - removal of the entire parathyroid gland.
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Thyroidectomy - removal of the entire thyroid gland.
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Thyroid lobectomy - removal of one lobe of the thyroid gland.
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Total pancreatectomy - This operation removes the entire pancreas, as well as the gallbladder, part of the stomach and small intestine, and the spleen.
Endocrine surgery risks
As with any surgical procedure, there are potential risks associated with endocrine surgeries. Some risks associated with endocrine surgery include:
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Bleeding
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Changes in blood pressure
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Infection
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Heart/lung problems related to anesthesia
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Nerve injury
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Voice change
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Breathing difficulty
Talk to your doctor about risks associated with specific types of endocrine surgeries.
