Endocrine surgery
Our leading specialists provide world-class care for people with endocrine conditions.
Thyroid conditions
The thyroid gland controls your metabolism and affects every aspect of body function. Several conditions can affect the thyroid gland.
- An overactive thyroid produces too much of the hormone thyroxine, causing your metabolism to speed up.
- An underactive thyroid does not produce enough thyroxine, slowing your metabolism.
- Thyroid nodules are lumps caused by abnormal growth of thyroid tissue. They are usually benign, but a small percentage are cancerous.
- A thyroglossal duct cyst is a lump in the throat you can feel when you swallow.
- Thyroid cancer.
Some people need surgery to remove the thyroid gland, nodules and cancerous tumours. This might involve:
- Total thyroidectomy – removal of the whole thyroid gland.
- Hemithyroidectomy – removal of part of the thyroid gland.
- Minimally invasive procedures using a keyhole approach.
Parathyroid conditions
The parathyroid glands produce parathyroid hormone, which controls calcium levels in your body. A benign tumour can make a parathyroid gland grow and produce too much parathyroid hormone. This can cause calcium to leach out of the bones into the bloodstream. Treatment usually involves keyhole surgery to remove the overactive gland.
Adrenal conditions
The adrenal glands sit above the kidneys. They help regulate many body functions. Conditions that can affect adrenal function include:
- Adenomas – benign nodules that may disrupt hormone function and occasionally progress into cancers.
- Cushing’s syndrome – which occurs when an adrenal adenoma produces too much of the hormone cortisol.
- Conn’s syndrome – which occurs when an adrenal adenoma produces too much of the hormone aldosterone.
- Phaeochromocytoma – a type of tumour that secretes too much of a group of hormones known as catecholamines (usually noradrenalin and adrenaline).
You may need surgery to remove large adrenal lesions and those which are disrupting hormone function. Most cases can be performed using a keyhole technique.
