Has anyone had a pituitary tumor removed?

Endoscopic pituitary surgery, also called transsphenoidal

transsphenoidal

Transsphenoidal surgery is a type of surgery in which an endoscope or surgical instruments are inserted into part of the brain by going through the nose and the sphenoid bone (a butterfly-shaped bone forming the anterior inferior portion of the brain case) into the sphenoidal sinus cavity.

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Transsphenoidal surgery - Wikipedia

endoscopic surgery, is the most common surgery used to remove pituitary tumors.

How successful is pituitary tumor surgery?

The success rate is about 60% with growth-hormone secreting macroadenomas [2]. Some pituitary tumors remain surgically incurable due to invasion of the cavernous sinuses and other important structures.

Should pituitary tumors be removed?

Surgical removal of a pituitary tumor usually is necessary if the tumor is pressing on the optic nerves or if the tumor is overproducing certain hormones. The success of surgery depends on the tumor type, its location, its size and whether the tumor has invaded surrounding tissues.

Is pituitary gland surgery fatal?

Overall, transsphenoidal surgery is a procedure with very low associated mortality and morbidity.

What percentage of pituitary tumors require surgery?

Complete removal of a tumor is the desired goal. However, a minority of patients with pituitary tumor will have a recurrence of the tumor. Approximately 16% of patients with a non functioning tumor will have a tumor recurrence within 10 years and 10% require additional treatment (surgery, pituitary radiation).

Pituitary Tumor Resection

How serious is a tumor on the pituitary gland?

Most of these tumors are not cancerous. Pituitary cancer is very rare. Still, the tumors can cause serious problems, either because of their size (large tumors) or because they make extra hormones your body doesn't need (functioning tumors). They're typically treated with surgery, medicine, or radiation.

Can you live a normal life with a pituitary tumor?

In general, when a pituitary tumor is not cured, people live out their lives but may have to deal with problems caused by the tumor or its treatment, such as vision problems or hormone levels that are too high or too low.

How risky is pituitary surgery?

Risks of endoscopic pituitary surgery

Endoscopic pituitary surgery is a safe type of surgery, but all surgical procedures carry some risk for reaction to anesthesia, bleeding, and infection. Risks and complications that may occur with this type of surgery also include: CSF rhinorrhea.

How long is recovery from pituitary tumor surgery?

It can take up to 6 weeks to fully recover. The cuts the doctor made (incisions) may be sore for about 5 days after surgery. You may also have numbness and shooting pains near your wound, or swelling and bruising around your eyes. As your wound starts to heal, it may start to itch.

How long does pituitary tumor surgery take?

How long does the pituitary surgery take? Most patients are in the operating room for 3-4 hours, although occasionally it can take longer or may be even shorter. If the time goes over 4 hours, do not be alarmed. The staff will keep your family updated as the operation proceeds.

What are the side effects of pituitary tumor surgery?

Side effects from pituitary tumor surgery are uncommon, but can occur. This includes damage to large arteries, nearby brain tissue, or nerves near the pituitary. In rare cases, these can cause brain damage, a stroke, or blindness. In rare cases, the membranes around the brain (meninges) may get infected.

Will I lose weight after pituitary tumor is removed?

In general, most patients lose all of the weight they are going to lose within a year of surgery with most of the weight loss occurring between four and eight months after surgery.

What happens if pituitary tumor is left untreated?

Most pituitary tumors are curable, but if left untreated, they can lead to serious complications such as complete vision loss.

Is pituitary surgery brain surgery?

Pituitary surgery can be performed with a few approaches, most of which involve no visible incisions. A neurosurgeon's choice of approach largely depends on a tumor's location in the brain. In the case of pituitary tumors, some grow down into the sphenoid sinus, which is part of the nasal cavity.

Will I get my vision back after removing a pituitary tumor?

In many cases, loss of vision can recover considerably after surgery or medical treatments. However, the extent of recovery depends on how long the visual loss has been present and how severe it is. Unfortunately, in some cases there is permanent visual loss, despite treatments for the pituitary tumor.

Can a pituitary tumor change your personality?

Personality changes are also common when a pituitary tumour causes the pituitary gland to over- or under-produce hormones. This can affect your emotions and cause changes in your sex drive. Larger tumours can have a greater effect on personality, as they generally affect a greater area of the brain.

How long are you in the hospital for pituitary tumor surgery?

A typical hospital admission for patients undergoing pituitary tumor surgery lasts 2 to 3 days; overnight in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 1or 2 more on the nursing floor.

Do pituitary tumors grow back after surgery?

Despite advances in surgical and radiotherapy techniques, tumor control is not always achieved; thus, data from our centers, as well as from other departments, suggest 5-year regrowth rates of 15% to 66% after surgery alone (6–9) and 2% to 28% after surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (6, 7, 10, 11).

When is a pituitary tumor an emergency?

Neuro-ophthalmological symptoms such as visual impairment, sudden onset of severe headache and alteration of the level of consciousness should prompt appropriate radiological investigations, since this may well call for emergency surgery.

What is considered a large pituitary tumor?

Large pituitary tumors — those measuring about 1 centimeter (slightly less than a half-inch) or larger — are known as macroadenomas. Smaller tumors are called microadenomas. Because of the size of macroadenomas, they can put pressure on the normal pituitary gland and nearby structures.

What is the best hospital for pituitary tumor surgery?

Nationally recognized expertise.

Mayo Clinic is one of the largest pituitary centers in the United States. Its surgeons have experience and expertise in endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery and in using stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated radiation therapy or proton beam radiation to treat these tumors.

Can an adult live without a pituitary gland?

You can live without your pituitary gland as long as you take medication to replace the pituitary hormones that you're missing. The pituitary gland hormones are very important for maintaining several bodily functions. An untreated lack of all the pituitary hormones is life-threatening.

Why do you get a pituitary tumor?

Most pituitary tumors are not cancers, and there are no known environmental causes for these tumors. The gene changes in these tumors might just be random events that sometimes happen when a cell divides, without having an outside cause.

Is a pituitary tumor a disability?

If you suffer from a pituitary gland malfunction and it makes you unable to work, you may qualify for Social Security disability. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program to pay monthly benefits for those who are unable to work.

Where does your head hurt with a pituitary tumor?

A person with pituitary tumor apoplexy usually has a sudden-onset, severe headache at the front of the head (either located on one side of the head or both) and/or behind one or both eyes.