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UCLA Endocrine Surgery
Experience Is Paramount
At UCLA Endocrine Surgery we perform over 900 endocrine surgeries per year. Our volume of adrenal surgeries ranks among the highest in the nation.
Multidisciplinary Care
Complex cases are discussed at our endocrine tumor board, which includes our endocrine surgeons, endocrinologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists, and pathologists. This allows us to coordinate the best care possible, informed by our collective experience and expertise.
Care Everywhere
The UCLA Endocrine Surgery Distance Program was created to meet the demands of our increasing patient population living outside of the Los Angeles metropolitan area (more than 2 hours drive away).
Learn More about Distance Surgery Program.
Telemedicine visits via smartphone, tablet, or PC are also available for all of our patients who have already established an in-person relationship.
Learn More about Telemedicine.
UCLA Outcomes After Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery
Parathyroid Surgery
Our cure rate for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who undergo parathyroidectomy is 98 - 99%. We track calcium levels following surgery so that we can detect any patient with a potential recurrence.
Thyroid Cancer Surgery
Our thyroid cancer patients have a 92 - 95% chance of having no evidence of disease recurrence on surveillance imaging at 1 year after surgery. Recurrence is affected by two main factors:
- Extent of disease at presentation (patients with more aggressive disease including lymph node metastases have a higher rate of local recurrence in the neck)
- Completeness of initial operation (ensuring that all of the disease and involved lymph nodes are removed)
The most worrisome complications after thyroid and parathyroid surgery include permanent vocal cord damage, damage to the parathyroid glands causing low calcium, and bleeding requiring a second operation. At UCLA, our expert team and high volume center have resulted in some of the lowest complication rates in the country. Our rates of permanent hoarseness, low calcium, and bleeding or infection are less than 1%.
We do encounter cases of advanced thyroid cancer that have invaded and destroyed the laryngeal nerve. In those cases the nerve cannot be preserved during the surgery, and must be sacrificed to remove the cancer. We can often predict these cases before the surgery based on the ultrasound appearance of the cancer or a change in the patient’s voice, but sometimes this invasion can only be detected during the surgery.
UCLA Endocrine Surgery Complication Rates
| Complication | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoarseness | <1% (2 cases) | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (1 case) | <1% (2 cases) | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (1 case) | <1% (1 case) |
| Low Calcium | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (2 cases) | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (1 case) | <1% (1 case) | <1% (2 cases) | <1% (1 case) |
| Bleeding | <1% (1 case) | <1% (1 case) | <1% (2 cases) | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (4 cases) | <1% (0 cases) |
| Infection | <1% (2 cases) | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (1 case) | <1% (3 cases) | <1% (2 cases) | <1% (0 cases) | <1% (1 case) |
| All Complications (Combined) | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% |
| Total Case Volume | 612 | 657 | 710 | 891 | 906 | 915 | 950 (estimated) |
Insurance Information
UCLA Healthcare accepts Medicare-assignment and private indemnity insurance.
We also participate in over 100 local and national managed care networks.
Insurance Information.
UCLA Endocrine Surgery Program Receives Grant from Christopher Murphy Foundation for Treatment of Uninsured Patients with Thyroid Cancer
Scar Photos: Surgery for Thyroid Cancer
Patient Testimonials
Small Cut, Big Results
All these years I just thought I had high blood pressure. I never knew what was going on,” says Gloria Beauregard. Dr. Masha Livhits, an endocrine surgeon at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center, explains, “Mrs. Beauregard had what’s called an aldosteronoma, which is usually a benign tumor in her adrenal gland.
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Lauren’s Story
Thyroid cancer radiation treatment comes in the form of a pill. You go into the radiation unit at the hospital, and someone who looks like they’re in a hazmat suit comes into the room, takes these tongs and hands you a pill,” says 33-year-old Lauren Shapiro, who discovered she had thyroid cancer when she was 26. “That was the most interesting part of the process.
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Keith’s Story
Keith chose Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center because, “what I have is rare. I need treatments that may not exist at other places and I've been getting great care at UCLA.”
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Santa Visits Dr. Livhits
Minimally Invasive Parathyroidectomy
By SANTA
I’m writing to commend UCLA Health, the UCLA Endocrine Center & the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for my recent successful minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. Dr. Masha Livhits and Dr. Lauren Orr reviewed the pre-op material submitted by my General Practitioner in Alaska, personally examined, and successfully operated on me less than a week ago. And, I’m now back in North Pole, Alaska, enjoying an early Spring.
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