Endocrine Surgery The endocrine surgery specialists at Mission Surgery specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions and disorders affecting the endocrine glands, including the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands and neuroendocrine glands. We bring together the region’s only team of fellowship-trained endocrine surgeons, ensuring you have access to an experienced team of highly skilled experts dedicated to providing you the best possible care for the surgical management of disorders affecting the endocrine glands. At Mission, our multidisciplinary team works with primary care physicians, radiologists, endocrinologists and pathologists to provide a comprehensive, team-based approach to healthcare. Our endocrine surgeries use advanced, minimally invasive surgical procedures for treatment of endocrine diseases, which may result in less scarring, faster recovery and shorter hospital stays. Our surgeons perform a high volume of thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery and adrenal gland surgery, and our patients have a very low risk of complication. Thyroid Surgery The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that lies in front of the windpipe, just below the voice box. It uses the iodine from food to make hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy. The thyroid can be susceptible to a variety of conditions, such as cysts, noncancerous (benign) nodules, thyroid cancer and, in rare cases, hyperthyroidism. When it comes to diseases of the thyroid, at Mission, our endocrine surgeons offer personalized surgical care and use minimally invasive procedures: Total thyroidectomy: In the procedure, the surgeon removes the entire thyroid gland and the lymph nodes surrounding the gland. Thyroid lobectomy with or without an isthmectomy: If thyroid nodules are located in one lobe, your surgeon will remove only that lobe, and may remove the isthmus, or the narrow band of tissue that connects the two lobes. If you need thyroid surgery, your doctor will carefully discuss your treatment options with you and will choose the procedure that is best for you. Parathyroid Surgery Parathyroid glands are four pea-sized glands located behind the thyroid gland that produce a hormone that helps control the amount of calcium in the blood. Hyperparathyroidism, a condition in which the parathyroid produces too much of the hormone, can occur when a benign tumor, or in rare cases, cancer, forms on one of the parathyroid glands and causes it to grow and become overactive. Parathyroidectomy, surgery to remove the parathyroid, is typically the best treatment option. Adrenal Gland Surgery Located above the kidneys, the adrenal glands produce important hormones that help control blood pressure, reaction to stress and breakdown of fats to make sugars in the liver. At Mission, our surgeons use minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures for benign and malignant adrenal tumors of the adrenal glands, allowing the surgeon to perform the surgery through a smaller incision using a camera and smaller instruments, resulting in a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery than traditional surgery. When it comes to adrenal surgery, we offer surgical treatment for conditions, including adrenocortical carcinoma, Cushing’s syndrome, endocrine tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma, adrenal tumors and tumors in the adrenal gland. For patients in which removing the adrenal gland is the best treatment option, we offer posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. This is a minimally invasive adrenalectomy approach in which the surgeon removes the adrenal glands through three small incisions on the back instead of through the belly. This laparoscopic surgical approach causes less scarring and pain, and allows for faster recovery times. Meet Mission’s Endocrine Surgeons With our Find a Doctor provider search tool, you can meet our team at the touch of a button. View the provider profiles to learn more about insurances accepted, education and credentials, and locations. If you would like additional help finding the right doctor, please call us at 828-213-3222.