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The surgeons at
DeKalb Surgical Associates offer state-of-the-art treatment of
various endocrine disorders. Endocrine disorders include
abnormalities of the thyroid,
parathyroid, adrenal gland and pancreas.
Thyroid gland
abnormalities
such as hyperfunction, tumor and cancers may need to be treated
surgically. Symptoms may include sore throat, fatigue, sweating,
nervousness, abnormal heart rhythm and weight loss. Sometimes
patients may have no symptoms whatsoever, but may notice a lump
in the neck.
Overactive
parathyroid glands can cause increased blood calcium levels
and other symptoms such as bone pain, muscle aches, kidney
stones, or stomach ulcers. We offer the latest in
minimally invasive techniques for surgery of the parathyroid
gland.
There is lots of information about parathyroid disease and
minimally invasive parathyroid surgery on this web site.
Here is a link to the
Parathyroid Home Page.
Adrenal glands
are small organs sitting atop each kidney., which produce a
variety of important hormones in the body. Occasionally a small
tumor in one of these glands will overproduce one of these
hormones, causing a variety of symptoms, depending on the
hormone produced. Some adrenal tumors do not produce hormones,
and may therefore cause few symptoms. Adrenal tumors must
usually be removed, and most can be
removed using laparoscopic techniques, allowing rapid return to
regular activities.
The pancreas
produces enzymes which help to digest proteins and starches
in the intestines. It also produces insulin, and some other
hormones. Tumors of the pancreas may be without symptoms in the
early stages, or there may be some vague abdominal or back pain,
jaundice (yellowing of the skin), decreased appetite, or weight
loss. Although not all pancreas tumors are able to be surgically
removed, this is the preferred treatment when possible.
There is lots
more information about the pancreas on the
Pancreas page.
The spleen
has a variety of functions, mainly as a producer of certain
types of white blood cells, and as a blood filter. The spleen
occasionally must be removed, for instance, in idiopathic
thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), or spherocytosis (an
unusual type of anemia). In most
cases, the removal of the spleen can be done using laparoscopic
techniques.
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