Find expert answers to your health questions

American Association of Endocrine Surgeons

Our Mission

The American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) is dedicated to the advancement of the science and art of endocrine surgery. Our members have clinical expertise in and research interests that focus on endocrine surgical diseases. They are certified by either the American Board of Surgery of the United States, the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada or the equivalent governing boards in Mexico and South America. Our membership has recently expanded to include international leaders in endocrine surgery and allied specialists that have demonstrated a similar focus of practice. The AAES is committed to providing surgical expertise in diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands as well as in neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas and GI tract. Our goal is to discover and promote the best treatments for endocrine disease to help improve our patients' lives. 


For more information please visit us at www.endocrinesurgery.org



Activity

  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    How is goiter diagnosed?

    A multinodular goiter (MNG) is often first found on routine physical examination or when the patient seeks medical attention for a neck mass or increased size of the neck. As with all thyroid conditions, initial evaluation includes a detailed history, specifically focusing on hypo or hy

    ...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What scans may be needed for a Cushing's syndrome diagnosis?
    The results of the laboratory evaluation will determine what type of imaging is needed. If the patient has adrenal Cushing's syndrome, then an abdominal CAT scan or MRI will be ordered. If a pituitary adenoma is suspected, then a CAT scan or MRI of the brain will be ordered.1-3 If an ectopic...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    Can surgery cure Cushing's syndrome?
    In most cases, an operation has a high chance of curing Cushing's syndrome. Surgery will be aimed at removing the gland (either pituitary or adrenal gland) that is responsible for the syndrome. Pituitary surgery is performed by neurosurgeons who remove the pituitary gland through the patient's nasal...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What happens if Cushing's syndrome is left untreated?
    In general, if Cushing's syndrome is not treated with the appropriate operation, the disease will get worse. As the signs and symptoms worsen, the patient's overall health can deteriorate. In particular, the worsening diabetes and high blood pressure can cause severe problems that may lead to...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What do I need to do to prepare for adrenal gland surgery?
    Prior to having adrenal surgery, your doctor will ensure that you have been properly prepared. You should discuss all of your medical problems with your surgeon during your consultation visit. Specific blood work, additional tests or consultation with physicians in a number of specialties may...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What is a sex hormone secreting adrenal tumor?
    Sex hormone secreting adrenal tumors are very unusual and occur in about 2 out of every 1 million people. These tumors may be benign (adenomas) or malignant (adrenocortical carcinoma). Telling the difference between a benign and a malignant sex hormone producing tumor may be difficult based upon...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What are the symptoms of adrenocortical cancer (ACC)?
    There is usually no obvious sign or symptom that an adult has an adrenocortical cancer (ACC). This fact makes it very hard to diagnose ACC at an early stage. These are typically aggressive tumors which grow quickly and spread rapidly. Occasionally, patients may feel pain in the back or sides because the tumor...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What are androgen secreting tumors?
    Androgen secreting tumors cause a virilizing (masculinizing) syndrome. For boys, they can lead to early onset of puberty. In girls and women, this can lead to deepening of the voice, excessive hair growth, excessive acne, increased muscle mass, ambiguous genitalia, and enlargement of the...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What are treatment options for advanced adrenal cancer?
    Standard therapy for advanced or metastatic ACC is a combination of chemotherapy including doxorubicin, cisplatin, etoposide and mitotane. The most recent clinical trial comparing this combination to streptozotocin and mitotane (FIRM-ACT study) has been completed and results are pending. Preliminary...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What is an adrenal incidentaloma?
    An adrenal incidentaloma is an asymptomatic adrenal tumor that is discovered on an imaging test (CAT scan, MRI, etc.) which was ordered to evaluate a problem that is unrelated to adrenal disease. This definition does not include patients undergoing imaging procedures as a part of a workup or f...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What should be done if I have an incidentaloma?
    The two main questions to answer are: Is the tumor functional (making too much hormone)? And what is the chance that this is cancer? To answer these questions, a series of tests should be done.

    The three main functional tumors to rule out are pheochromocytoma, aldosterone producing adenoma,...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What is a thyroid nodule?
    A thyroid nodule is a growth within the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules are extremely common, and can be seen in 5 to 10% of women and 1 to 5% of men. Studies have shown that the chance of having a thyroid nodule increases with increasing age and that up to 60% of women over the age of 60...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    How is a glucagonoma treated?
    The primary treatment for a glucagonoma is surgical removal, and this offers the only chance for cure. An operation involves a full exploration of the abdomen, either through a standard open incision, or with laparoscopy, or with a combination of the two techniques. The surgeon determines...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    What tests will I have before gastrinoma surgery?
    Before embarking on gastrinoma surgery, a thorough assessment of the extent of disease should be made including computed tomography (CT scanning) of the chest abdomen and pelvis as well as somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS). SRS is a technique that uses a radiolabled agent to visualize n...  Full Post
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
    American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered:
    Should I see a specialist for a gastrinoma?
    Once the diagnosis of a gastrinoma has been made, a referral to a surgeon expert in the management of this disease should be made. Since these are rare tumors, it is important that the surgeon have experience with their management and that the surgeon is at a medical center with expertise in ...  Full Post