Endocrinology

The clinic performs about 1000 thyroid surgeries per year, carried out mainly with the help of a binocular loupe and modern instruments (ultrasonic scalpel/scissors).

In the prescribed manner, the location of the nerves of the vocal cords and parathyroid glands is determined. The function of the nerve that innervates the vocal cords is checked electrophysiologically during the operation using neuromonitoring, which minimizes the risk of nerve damage. Good collaboration with our pathologists makes it possible to examine tissues even during the operation and, in accordance with the result, complete the course of the operation.

To close the surgical wound, an intradermal cosmetic suture is applied with a thin suture material, which provides a favorable cosmetic effect. The parathyroid glands are operated on in a minimally invasive way, and close contact with the Jülich Research Center contributes to the optimal recovery of patients with malignant diseases.

The clinic with a high scientific reputation has the status of a reference clinic for the surgical treatment of enlarged parathyroid glands.  In so-called hyperparathyroidism, it is mainly an increased function of the parathyroid glands, where one of the four glands is most often affected. For the exact localization of parathyroid adenoma, there are various special research methods that specialists can use as part of a patient's inpatient stay. The degree of specialization of the clinic allows you to plan the intervention within the exact boundaries and perform the operation, preserving the tissues as much as possible and thereby reducing the patient's inpatient stay. Before, during and after the operation, the level of parathyroid hormone (parathormone) is determined, and the result of the operation is documented. Increasingly, visualized minimally invasive techniques are also being used.

Tumors of the adrenal glands may be unilateral or bilateral, hormonally active or inactive. They can form from the adrenal cortex or from the medulla. Most of them are benign, which still lead to significant concerns due to their hormonal activity. Typically, when performing operations on the adrenal glands, keyhole surgery is used, which is also applicable in cases with already operated patients. This method of minimally invasive surgery avoids large incisions with partial dissection of the muscular wall of the abdomen.

Neuroendocrine tumors are rare tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas that develop from hormone-producing (endocrine) cells. In the pancreas, functionally active and inactive tumors are distinguished. Along with X-ray diagnostics, the determination in the blood and in the urine of special products of the breakdown of hormones is of particular importance. A well-known hormonally active tumor of the pancreas is insulinoma with dangerous shifts in blood sugar levels. In addition to the operational examination of these special tumor diseases, which are of a minimally invasive approach, the decisive factors in the further healing are, of course, competent preliminary preparation and management of the postoperative period.