Thyroid and Endocrine Surgery

The thyroid and endocrine surgery department at UCLH is one of the largest endocrine surgical services in the UK.

We provide high level of care for patients who require surgical advice and management of benign and malignant endocrine conditions affecting the thyroid, parathyroids and adrenal glands. We are also specialised in the treatment of patients who require re-operative management.

As well as treatment for adults, we also provide care for young adults and children. Although most of our activity takes place at UCLH, we also work alongside the paediatric endocrinology team at Great Ormond Street Hospital to treat children with benign and malignant thyroid and parathyroid conditions. This includes children affected by genetic diseases such as Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia.

The team works closely with colleagues from other specialities including endocrinology, radiology, nuclear medicine, pathology and oncology. We meet regularly in our thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal multidisciplinary meetings. This allows us to provide a comprehensive service and ensure each patient receives the best possible care, tailored to their needs.

At UCLH, we perform around 350 thyroid and endocrine surgery operations per year. This includes a wide variety of procedures, from minimally invasive day parathyroid surgery to major cancer interventions. These are performed with the assistance of high-quality technology such as intra-operative nerve monitoring, intra-operative parathyroid hormone measurements and indocyanine green fluorescence to optimise surgical outcomes.

The surgical team participate and contribute data to the British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Association national audit.

The team is supported by endocrine surgical fellows who work alongside the consultants. They participate in the development of research projects while training in this specialty. The clinical nurse specialists and support workers within our team help to support and co-ordinate the care of patients on the outpatient pathway, and perioperatively, with both benign and malignant endocrine diagnoses.

We have an established weekly One-Stop Thyroid Clinic service for new or concerning thyroid nodules, which provides patients with a full assessment and diagnosis of thyroid nodules within one day. This is especially important for those patients who suffer thyroid cancer and require expedited diagnosis and treatment.