Endocrine Surgery

At New Jersey Bariatric Center we treat conditions that affect the endocrine system - a collection of glands that secrete hormones into your blood. For patients with conditions that affect the thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas, endocrine surgery may be an option.

Adrenalectomy

The most common reason that patients have the adrenal gland removed is excess hormone production by a tumor located within the adrenal gland. Most of these tumors are small and not cancerous. They are known as benign growths that can usually be removed with laparoscopic techniques.

With minimally invasive surgical techniques, removal of the adrenal gland (also known as laparoscopic adrenalectomy) can be performed through three or four quarter-inch to half-inch incisions. A laparoscope (a tiny telescope) connected to a special camera is inserted into the abdomen. This gives the surgeon a magnified view of the patient’s internal organs on a monitor. Additional instruments are inserted to allow your surgeon to delicately separate the adrenal gland from its attachments. The adrenal gland is then placed in a small bag and removed through one of the incisions. It is almost always necessary to remove the entire adrenal gland in order to safely remove the tumor.

Advantages of a Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy:

Shorter hospital stay

Less postoperative pain

Quicker return to normal activity

Reduced risk of herniation or wound separation

Improved cosmetic result

Splenectomy

In a laparoscopic splenectomy, a laparoscope (a tiny telescope connected to a video camera) is put into the abdomen. Several instruments are placed in different locations on the patient’s abdomen to allow your surgeon to remove the spleen. After the spleen is cut from all that it is connected to, it is placed inside a special bag. The bag with the spleen inside is pulled up into one of the incisions on the abdomen.

The spleen is a blood filled organ located in the upper left abdominal cavity. It is a storage organ for red blood cells and contains many specialized white blood cells that filter blood.

There are several reasons why a spleen might need to be removed. The most common reason is a condition called ITP, or idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (low platelets of unknown cause). Hemolytic anemia (a condition that breaks down red blood cells) and hereditary conditions that affect the shape of red blood cells may also require a splenectomy. Additionally, if the spleen gets enlarged, it sometimes removes too many platelets from your blood and has to be removed.

Advantages of a Laparoscopic Splenectomy:

Shorter hospital stay

Faster return to a regular, solid food diet

Less postoperative pain

Quicker return to normal activities

Better cosmetic result

Need Endocrine Surgery?
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Need Endocrine Surgery?
Visit a NJBC
Location Near You.