Endocrine Procedures:
- Thyroidectomy– The thyroid is a bow-tie
shaped gland that lies just below your voice box, and over your trachea.
It’s part of the endocrine system and helps your body regulate
metabolism. A thyroidectomy may be indicated for certain cosmetic
reasons, severe hyperthyroidism, goiter, certain complications of
Grave’s disease, or malignancy. The outlook for this type of
surgery is excellent, although most people will need to take thyroid
hormone replacement medicine for the remainder of their lives. There
are two types of thyroidectomy:
- Total thyroidectomy – removal of the entire gland
- Partial thyroidectomy – removal of part of the gland
You can read more about thyroidectomies at MedlinePlus.
- Parathyroidectomy – The parathyroid glands are small endocrine glands in the neck that secrete a hormone (parathyroid hormone) that helps control the amount of calcium in the blood and bones. If the parathyroid glands become diseased, they can become too active and/or enlarged which can lead to hyperparathyroidism. An accepted treatment for hyperparathyroidism is a parthyroidectomy which entails surgically removing the glands. You can read more about hyperparathyroidism and parathyroidectomies at PubMed.
- Adrenalectomy – The adrenal glands are endocrine glands located just above the kidneys. They are responsible for secreting hormones in response to stress. Certain types of tumors, primary adrenal cancers or masses that cause flank pain may indicate surgical removal of the glands. A great resource on the web to learn more about the adrenal glands can be found at endocrineweb.com.