Minimally Invasive Treatment for Endocrine Disorders
Endocrine Procedures
Here at Carson Surgical Group, we know how important it is to get you your health back now and not later. Our Endocrine department provides expert minimally-invasive procedures to treat patients with thyroid and parathyroid conditions, getting them their health back.
Thyroid
Thyroid surgery is used to treat patients who have a nodule or nodules, an enlargement or overactivity of this gland.
Thyroid Nodules Can Be Caused By …
Benign causes
- Multinodular goiter (MNG)
- Hashimoto thyroiditis
- Thyroid cyst
- Follicular adenoma
- Subacute thyroiditis
Malignant causes
- Papillary carcinoma
- Follicular carcinoma
- Hürthle cell carcinoma
- Medullary carcinoma
- Anaplastic carcinoma
- Primary thyroid lymphoma
- Metastasis
Minimally Invasive Thyroid Surgery
Minimally-invasive open thyroidectomy (MIT) is similar to conventional thyroidectomy in its surgical approach, the major difference is the length of the neck incision. A smaller incision improves cosmesis and reduces discomfort. The remainder of the procedure is exactly the same as is used in conventional thyroidectomy, with adaptations including transaction rather than lateral retraction of the strap muscles.
Minimally-invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) is another approach which typically involves a skin incision no greater than 3cm that is placed slightly higher than the conventional thyroidectomy incision. Open dissection is carried out until the superior thyroid pole is encountered, after which the endoscopic video-assisted techniques are used.
Parathyroid
Parathyroid glands control the amount of calcium in our blood and bones. About 1 in 700 people (1 in 250 women over 50) develop a parathyroid gland tumor causing parathyroid disease, called “hyperparathyroidism”. Hyperparathyroidism is a destructive disease that causes high blood calcium and which leads to serious health problems, sometimes even early death. It can be cured in most patients in less than 20 minutes with parathyroid tumor removal.
Minimally Invasive Parathyroid Surgery
During a minimally invasive parathyroid procedure, the overproducing parathyroid gland is made radioactive so it can be differentiated from the other structures in the neck. By using a Sestamibi scan, only the parathyroid tumor becomes radioactive, and lets the surgeon know what general area to operate upon. The surgeon will then make a small incision and will only operate in a small area of the neck.
Now on to the surgery. A miniature hand-held radiation probe is inserted into the incision to find the radioactive parathyroid. Then, the surgeon dissects where there is greatest probe activity in the area of the overactive parathyroid tumor. Once the tumor is removed, the surgeon measures the radioactivity in the parathyroid to make sure that all of the radioactive tumor has been removed. Finally, the neck is bandaged and the patient is ready to go home. Because this operation is performed quickly and with limited dissection, patients can usually leave the hospital the same day. Overall pain is minimal, and the bandage is left in place for about a week.
