Endocrine Surgery

We offer comprehensive surgical care for conditions affecting the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. Our highly skilled surgeons use state-of-the-art technology to provide safer procedures, minimize recovery time and reduce scarring.

Our core services include:

• Minimally invasive surgery: Techniques that require very small cuts for many procedures, which means quicker recoveries and smaller scars.
• Intraoperative nerve monitoring: Actively monitoring nerves during surgery to protect your voice and reduce the risk of complications.
• Rapid parathyroid hormone (PTH) assay: Rapid parathyroid hormone (PTH) testing during surgery to confirm successful removal of abnormal parathyroid tissue.
• Robotic and retroperitoneal adrenal surgery: Advanced robotic systems and minimally invasive approach, including retroperitoneal access, to treat adrenal conditions with precision.
• Complex and re-operative surgery: Manages invasive, recurrent or challenging endocrine diseases, including re-operative surgery for persistent or recurrent disease.
• Thyroid surgery (thyroidectomy): We safely remove part or all of the thyroid gland to treat cancer, large goiters or overactive thyroids.
• Parathyroid surgery (parathyroidectomy): Removing one or more abnormal parathyroid glands to balance your calcium levels.
• Adrenal gland surgery (adrenalectomy): Removing tumors or the entire adrenal gland, often using small tools and cameras to guide the procedure.
• Lymph node removal: If cancer has spread, affected lymph nodes are removed in the neck to protect your long-term health.

We offer a wide range of surgical services to treat issues in the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. Our surgeons focus on safe, effective procedures tailored to your specific needs.

Our team has a proven track record of helping people overcome complex endocrine disorders. We provide accurate diagnoses and clear treatment paths for many conditions, including:

• Thyroid cancer and nodules: Treating both harmless lumps and cancerous tumors in the thyroid. Treatment usually involves a partial or total thyroidectomy.
• Hyperthyroidism: When your thyroid makes too much hormone, surgery is performed to remove the overactive tissue and restore balance to your body.
• Goiters: Surgically removing enlarged thyroid glands that make it hard to swallow or breathe.
• Hyperparathyroidism: This condition causes high calcium levels in your blood and is treated by finding and removing the overactive parathyroid glands.

Adrenal tumors and disorders

At Ochsner Health, we provide comprehensive care for conditions affecting the adrenal glands. These are small, powerful glands located just above your kidneys and are responsible for producing key hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, DHEA (androgens), epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. Adrenal glands help regulate your blood pressure, salt balance, metabolism, immune response, blood glucose and how your body handles stress. Sometimes, a mass (also called an adenoma, nodule, or tumor) can develop in one or both adrenal glands. Most adrenal tumors are noncancerous and do not produce extra hormones. However, some are called functional adrenal tumors because they make additional hormones and require specialized evaluation and care. The type of adrenal tumor is classified by the hormone it produces, such as:

• Cortisol-producing tumors: Can lead to Cushing syndrome (hypercortisolism).
• Aldosterone-producing tumors: Can cause Conn’s syndrome (hyperaldosteronism).
• Androgen-producing tumors: May result in excess sex hormones.
• Adrenaline-producing tumors: Known as pheochromocytoma.
• Malignant adrenal tumors: Can include adrenocortical carcinoma or metastatic disease from another cancer.
• Adrenal Incidentaloma: Sometimes an adrenal tumor is found unexpectedly during imaging for another reason. We use blood, urine and additional imaging tests to help determine if the tumor produces excess hormones or may be cancer.
• The tumor is functional and produces extra hormones.
• The tumor is large, growing or not clearly benign.
• Imaging suggests cancer (adrenocortical carcinoma) or cancer that has spread from elsewhere (metastasis).

The thyroid gland makes hormones that control your body’s metabolism and energy. Many patients ask if they will gain weight after thyroid surgery. Weight gain can happen, but it is not usually caused by the surgery if your hormone levels are normal and similar to what they were before. Your doctor will check your thyroid levels after surgery to make sure your body has enough hormone. Changes in weight are often linked to diet, appetite or activity level, not the surgery itself.

Most patients are fully recovered by one or two weeks after surgery. Discomfort after surgery may last a few days after your procedure.

Thyroid surgery is low-risk but not without potential complications. If part or all of your thyroid is removed, you’ll need thyroid hormone replacement medication. Temporary calcium or vitamin D supplements may also be required. The thyroid is near nerves that control your vocal cords, and while rare, nerve damage can cause hoarseness or voice changes. Choosing a highly trained, experienced surgeon significantly reduces this risk. At Ochsner Health, our skilled surgical teams prioritize your safety and deliver expert care for the best outcomes.

If part of your thyroid gland is removed after surgery, you may need to take thyroid hormone replacement to help supplement the hormone being made by the remaining half of your thyroid. If your entire thyroid gland is removed, you will need to take thyroid hormone replacement medication for the rest of your life.

Your care team will give you a clear, step-by-step guide on how to prepare. 

Low calcium, called hypocalcemia, can occur after thyroid or parathyroid surgery. Signs and symptoms include numbness, tingling, or a pins-and-needles feeling around the face, lips, hands or feet. If you have these symptoms after surgery, take extra calcium, such as calcium carbonate (Tums) or calcium citrate. If your symptoms do not improve within 30 minutes, contact us at 504-842-4070. 

After neck surgery, it is common to feel tightness around the incision. You can begin gentle range-of-motion exercises and stretches to help loosen the neck muscles. Do these stretches two to three times a day while seated or standing in a balanced position. Move slowly in one direction at a time, support your neck and hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Stretches should not cause pain or severe discomfort. Complete each of the six movements: look up at the ceiling, then down at the floor; tilt your head to the right, bringing your ear toward your shoulder, then to the left; and turn your head to look over your right shoulder, then over your left shoulder.

It is common to develop a lump or fluid collection under the incision called a seroma. This is a normal part of the healing process and will go away over time. Using an ice pack for 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off for at least the first three days after surgery can help reduce swelling and inflammation at the incision.