The pituitary gland is a very important but small piece of tissue located at the base of the brain.
There are other types of tumors than can form, but the adenoma is by far the most common.
Pituitary adenomas are categorized in multiple ways.
Mehau Kulyk / Science Photo Library / Getty Images
They are benign (noncancerous), invasive adenoma, or cancerous.
The tumor may be a secretory tumor, meaning the tumor secretes hormones, or it may not.
The surgery is performed undergeneral anesthesia, which is given by an anesthesiologist or a nurse anesthetist.
This allows the gland to be accessed via the nose.
The procedure uses an endoscope, a flexible thin tube with a light, camera and small instruments inside.
The endoscope is inserted and the surgeon is able to watch the images on a monitor.
Tiny instruments inside the scope are used to cut the unwanted tissue away.
Once the path is open, small instruments are used to remove the unwanted tumor tissue.
currette, gamma knife, aspiration gadget).
Finally, the skin of the scalp is closed with staples or glue.
A biopsy of the tumor is sent to the lab to confirm the diagnosis.
Most patients are able to return to the vast majority of their normal activities two weeks after surgery.
For the initial weeks of recovery is it typical for prescription medication to be given forsurgical pain.
You may receive medicine to reduce nasal congestion and swelling.
During this time, it is normal to experience fatigue, nasal congestion, and sinus throw in headaches.
2021;23(Supplement_3):iii1-iii105.
doi:10.1093/neuonc/noab200
American Cancer Society.Key statistics about pituitary tumors.
Ezzat S, Asa SL, Couldwell WT, et al.The prevalence of pituitary adenomas: A systematic review.Cancer.
2004;101(3):613-619. doi:10.1002/cncr.20412
Cleveland Clinic.Pituitary adenomas.
Constantinescu SM, Maiter D.Pituitary incidentaloma.La Presse Medicale.
2021;50(4).
doi:10.1016/j.lpm.2021.104081
Wang AR, Gill JR.The pituitary gland: An infrequent but multifaceted contributor to death.Academic Forensic Pathology.
2016;6(2):206-216. doi:10.23907%2F2016.023
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of pituitary tumors.
Gouden V, Basit H. Jialal I.Hypopituitarism (panhypopituitarism).
In:StatPearls[Internet].
Gouden V, Basit H. Jialal I.Hyperpituitarism.
In:StatPearls[Internet].
Penn DL, Burke WT, Laws ER.Management of non-functioning pituitary adenomas: Surgery.Pituitary.
2018;21(2):145-153. doi:10.1007/s11102-017-0854-2
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Endoscopic pituitary surgery.
[Updated 2022 Mar 9].
In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., eds.Endotext[Internet].
MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.
American Cancer Society.Surgery for pituitary tumors.
UCLA Health.Minimally invasive “key-hole” surgery for pituitary tumors.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Surgery for pituitary tumors.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Pituitary surgery.
Neuroendocrine and Pituitary Tumor Clinic Center.Transsphenoidal surgery FAQ: A patient guide.
