Tampa General Hospital Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute

Home to the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world

Why Choose Tampa General Hospital? 

More parathyroid operations have been performed at Tampa General Hospital than at any other hospital in the world. Our renowned surgeons, Dr. Douglas Politz and Dr. José López, are the two most experienced parathyroid surgeons operating in the world today, with a combined 25 years of experience and more than 15,000 parathyroidectomies performed. As the region’s first and largest academic medical center, Tampa General Hospital offers world-class, innovative care through the collaboration of our multidisciplinary specialized teams.

About Tampa Bay

As the one of Florida’s leading academic health systems, TGH sits in the heart of the Tampa Bay region, which also includes fast-growing St. Petersburg and the world-famous beaches of Clearwater and western Pinellas County. With a centrally located and award-winning airport, year-round pleasant weather and an abundance of cultural events, professional sports, theme parks and other attractions, Tampa is a top destination for both visitors and patients looking for world-class health care. 

Our surgeons also operate at the TGH Outpatient Center, conveniently located just 15 minutes away from Tampa General’s main campus. Our state-of-the-art center is equipped with on-site parking and comprehensive medical services, including our 24/7 TGH Brandon Emergency Center, an ambulatory surgery center, pharmacy services, and several hotel options with special rates for TGH patients, making your visit as seamless as possible.

Call our team today to learn more and schedule a consultation.

KNOWLEDGE

Our parathyroid surgeons are two of only a handful of surgeons in the world who operate solely on the parathyroid glands. They have some of the highest cure rates, with minimal complications, and operative times that are a fraction of the time it takes other surgeons to do this procedure.

Our patients are cared for on a dedicated floor at Tampa General by a team of nurses, physicians, technicians, and others who are committed to providing the highest quality experience for patients with parathyroid disease. Most patients can leave the hospital within two hours after the procedure. Our system is innovative and highly efficient, but also personalized and patient-focused.

EXPERIENCE

Our institute is dedicated solely to parathyroid and thyroid patients, which means our team is highly experienced in all facets of diagnostic testing and treatment. For example, our surgeons have performed more than 35,000 individual parathyroid gland examinations and are world leaders in their field, training the most experienced handful of parathyroid surgeons who have followed them in the field.

About 30% of parathyroid patients also have issues with their thyroid. Our surgeons have gained expertise in treating these thyroid conditions through their 30 years of experience. Patients from all areas of the United States and the world have come to the TGH Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute to receive the care they need from experienced physicians who can properly diagnose and treat their conditions.

RECOGNITION

Tampa General Hospital was recognized as one of America’s Best Hospitals and the Highest Ranked in Florida for Ear, Nose and Throat by U.S. News & World Report 2022-23.

Through their commitment to a personalized patient experience, our highly skilled surgeons, Dr. Politz and Dr. López, have received dozens of awards, including Patients’ Choice Awards, Compassionate Doctor Awards, and Top Doctors Awards. They are also co-authors of the largest study of parathyroid patients published in the medical literature (more than 20,000).
PARATHYROID & THYROID

The TGH Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute specializes in the evaluation and surgical treatment of parathyroid and thyroid disorders.

The parathyroid is a tiny endocrine gland located adjacent to the thyroid in the neck. Everyone has four of them (very rarely five), and they all do one thing: regulate calcium levels in the blood. They do this by producing a parathyroid hormone (PTH). Parathyroid disorders are characterized by abnormal functioning of the parathyroid glands.

CONDITIONS TREATED:

  • Primary hyperparathyroidism
  • High blood calcium/hypercalcemia
  • Benign and malignant parathyroid tumors
  • Secondary hyperparathyroidism (renal/dialysis)
  • Tertiary hyperparathyroidism
  • Normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism
  • Persistent and recurrent hyperparathyroidism (ie. unsuccessful prior surgery)
  • Parathyroid cancer
  • Thyroid nodules
  • Goiters
  • Graves' disease
  • Thyroid cancer

Our two surgeons, Dr. Douglas Politz and Dr. José López, have performed more parathyroid operations than any other pair of surgeons in the world over the last 10 years, and our surgeons work as a team on every case. Each patient has our two experts evaluate all four parathyroid glands. With the extreme variability of parathyroid anatomy and appearance, this is of paramount importance and ensures the best outcomes for our patients.

TREATMENTS PERFORMED:

  • Parathyroidectomy
  • Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy
  • Outpatient parathyroidectomy
  • Radioguided parathyroidectomy
  • Reoperative parathyroidectomy
  • Complex parathyroid surgery
  • Combined parathyroid and thyroid surgery
  • Minimally invasive thyroid surgery
  • Total thyroidectomy
  • Thyroid lobectomy

 

How Do I Know If I Have Parathyroid Disease?

Dr. Douglas Politz discusses the symptoms of parathyroid disease and when to see a specialist like those at the TGH Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute.

Advanced Parathyroid Surgery

Thyroid/Parathyroid Combo Surgery

Meet Dr. Douglas Politz

Meet Dr. Jose Lopez

MEET OUR MEDICAL DIRECTORS

  • DOUGLAS E. POLITZ, MD, FACS, FACE

  • JOSÉ A. LOPEZ, MD, FACS

DOUGLAS E. POLITZ, MD, FACS, FACE

PARATHYROID SURGEON
Dr. Politz is one of the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, having performed over 8,000 parathyroidectomies. He has dedicated his career to parathyroid disease, combining enormous experience with superior knowledge and skill to complement his warm, engaging manner. Having seen the simplest and the most challenging parathyroid disease scenarios, he welcomes patients who have been diagnosed for the first time and those with prior attempts at surgical cure.

Patients whose parathyroid disease is associated with thyroid cancer or kidney disease also benefit from Dr. Politz’s decades of experience. He has examined over 25,000 parathyroid glands and operated on patients from every U.S. state and multiple continents.

JOSÉ A. LOPEZ, MD, FACS

PARATHYROID SURGEON
Dr. López is one of the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, having performed over 5,000 parathyroidectomies. He has dedicated the past 10 years of his career to the exclusive pursuit of parathyroid disease, with particular focus on patients whose disease is complicated by scar tissue from prior surgeries and patients with coexisting thyroid tumors.

Dr. López has helped perfect the advanced techniques of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy used to quickly identify the four parathyroid glands in surgery. Fluent in Spanish and English, he has examined over 20,000 parathyroid glands and operated on patients from nearly every U.S. state and multiple continents.

Dr. López is fluent in Spanish and available to take Spanish speaking patients.

MEET OUR MEDICAL DIRECTORS

DOUGLAS E. POLITZ, MD, FACS, FACE

PARATHYROID SURGEON
Dr. Politz is one of the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, having performed over 8,000 parathyroidectomies. He has dedicated his career to parathyroid disease, combining enormous experience with superior knowledge and skill to complement his warm, engaging manner. Having seen the simplest and the most challenging parathyroid disease scenarios, he welcomes patients who have been diagnosed for the first time and those with prior attempts at surgical cure.

Patients whose parathyroid disease is associated with thyroid cancer or kidney disease also benefit from Dr. Politz’s decades of experience. He has examined over 25,000 parathyroid glands and operated on patients from every U.S. state and multiple continents.

JOSÉ A. LOPEZ, MD, FACS

PARATHYROID SURGEON
Dr. López is one of the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, having performed over 5,000 parathyroidectomies. He has dedicated the past 10 years of his career to the exclusive pursuit of parathyroid disease, with particular focus on patients whose disease is complicated by scar tissue from prior surgeries and patients with coexisting thyroid tumors.

Dr. López has helped perfect the advanced techniques of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy used to quickly identify the four parathyroid glands in surgery. Fluent in Spanish and English, he has examined over 20,000 parathyroid glands and operated on patients from nearly every U.S. state and multiple continents.

Dr. López is fluent in Spanish and available to take Spanish speaking patients.

CONTACT US TODAY

No additional consultation fees beyond insurance coverage.
Virtual consultations available.

To request more information, call 1-800-822-3627 or contact us by filling out the form.

INFORMATION

8138448335