
Patient Education Site
Find out about diseases of the parathyroid glands, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and neuroendocrine system.
Link to Patient EducationFind out about diseases of the parathyroid glands, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and neuroendocrine system.
Link to Patient EducationAAES is dedicated to the advancement of the science and art of endocrine surgery.
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
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this directory. However some changes may occur between updates. Please check with your provider to ensure that he or she participates in your health plan.
Last Updated: February 13th, 2012
This depends on your thyroid surgeon. Some surgeons use small external stitches which are removed within a few days of surgery. Other surgeons use dissolvable stitches under the skin which do not r...
Read MoreThe standard scar from thyroid surgery is generally about 2 inches long and is located in the front of the neck. Most surgeons try to hide the scar in a skin crease. Practice does vary, so ask your...
Read MoreMost thyroid operations take from one to five hours for the surgeon to perform. There is additional preparation and recovery time before and after the actual operation. When a patient has had previ...
Read MoreSurgery to remove the thyroid gland is well tolerated and has low complication rates when performed by an experienced thyroid surgeon. Complications unique to thyroid surgery include bleeding withi...
Read MoreGenerally, most patients are sent home with pain medication and calcium supplementation. You may also require thyroid hormone. Please follow the instructions your surgeon sends home with you in reg...
Read MoreIf you have just been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, the first step is getting your thyroid function under control. This is generally done with anti-thyroid medications which block the produ...
Read MoreThe adrenal gland makes a number of different hormones. The outer layer—cortex—produces mineralocorticoids (e.g., aldosterone), glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol) and sex steroids (e.g., ...
Read MoreThe thyroid gland uses iodine to produce thyroid hormones—primarily thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T4 gets converted into T3 (a more active form) in the blood. Thyroid hormones reg...
Read MoreSymptoms of hypothyroidism may include fatigue, depression, daytime sleepiness, cold intolerance, weight gain, water retention, thinning hair, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty conce...
Read MoreMost patients with thyroid cancer do not have any symptoms. Typically, patients present with a thyroid nodule that is found to be cancer on further evaluation. As with all thyroid disease, a thorou...
Read MoreThe treatment of hypothyroidism includes replacing the body's natural thyroid hormone with a pill form of thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone replacement is typically a form of T4 ...
Read MoreVoice change is a known complication after thyroid surgery. There are two sets of nerves near the thyroid gland that help control the voice. These are the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the external...
Read MoreFollowing thyroid surgery, if signs of low calcium level occur, then calcium and/or vitamin D pills may be advised. These levels are straightforward to follow with a simple blood test and respond v...
Read MoreAndrogen 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...
Read MoreAlternative treatments for hypothyroidism include “natural” medication in the form of desiccated animal thyroid (Armour), usually obtained from pigs. Both T3 and T4 are contained in Arm...
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