If your family doctor diagnoses you with a small pituitary tumor, you may not know exactly how to react to the news. You may also wonder if it's possible to remove the tumor without compromising your health even further. One of the specialists you can see about your tumor is a neurosurgeon. A neurosurgeon can provide the services you need now. Learn how and why a neurosurgeon can help you below.
What Should You Know About Your Tumor?
Tumors can grow almost anywhere inside and outside the human body. When tumors grow on or inside the central nervous system, the situation can be frightening for most people. Although many tumors can be cancerous, some aren't. Pituitary tumors are generally noncancerous, or benign.
Pituitary tumors normally develop in or around the pituitary gland. The tiny gland sits near the base of the brain and produces many of the hormones the body needs to grow, develop, and thrive. Pituitary tumors, or clumps of abnormal cells, can prevent the gland from creating the hormones you need for good health. Tumors can also cause a number of neurological problems in males and females, including:
- poor, double, or disrupted vision
- head, face, and nerve pain
- weight gain and poor growth
- fertility and reproductive problems
While it may seem impossible to treat your pituitary tumor, you can with a neurosurgeon's help.
How Can a Neurosurgeon Treat Your Tumor?
A neurosurgeon treats a substantial number of health conditions, including tumors of the central nervous system. The neurosurgeon you contact for services will most likely reach out to your primary doctor for more details about your condition. Once a neurosurgeon obtains more information about your situation, they'll discuss your surgical options.
Surgeons use a variety of surgical methods to remove cancerous growths from the central nervous system. Their methods may include transsphenoidal surgery. Transsphenoidal surgery is a procedure that allows a surgeon to access and remove tumors via the nasal passages and septum. The noninvasive procedure eliminates the need to:
- make large cuts into the body's soft tissues and bones
- cut into the brain tissue surrounding tumors
- bruise, damage, or harm the nerves surrounding tumors
A neurosurgeon may also use other methods to excise, or remove, your tumor. However, these methods may depend on the size, location, and severity of your tumor.
If you want to treat the tumor on your pituitary gland and need help doing so, call a neurosurgery provider today.