Is pituitary tumor surgery done under general anesthesia?

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 20, 2024
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For patients with pituitary tumors, general anesthesia is typically recommended for surgery. Clinically, a combined inhalational and intravenous anesthesia approach is adopted for treatment. Before surgery, anesthesia induction is carried out to stabilize the patient, who then undergoes tracheal intubation for general combined anesthesia. As the surgery nears completion, appropriate medication may be used to help shorten the anesthesia process. After the surgery is fully completed, the patient is transferred to the recovery room. Once the anesthetic drugs are gradually metabolized and consciousness returns to clarity, the tracheal tube is effectively removed.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Can pituitary tumors heal on their own?

Under normal circumstances, pituitary tumors generally do not heal spontaneously. Pituitary tumors are benign tumors and although they grow slowly, they tend to continue growing. When they enlarge to a certain extent, they produce a series of symptoms and signs, such as headaches behind the eye sockets, the forehead, and both temporal sides. If the tumor breaks through the sellar diaphragm, it might also affect the optic nerve, leading to decreased vision and visual field defects. Moreover, it can severely erode the pituitary gland, causing symptoms and signs like decreased pituitary function, endocrine hormone disorders, and bringing significant suffering to the patient.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
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Can pituitary tumors cause headaches?

For patients with pituitary tumors, headaches may occur. Most patients in the early stages often experience mild headaches located behind the eye sockets, the forehead, and on both sides of the temporal area. These headaches are generally tolerable and occur intermittently. They are mostly caused by the stimulation of the tumor or the increased pressure inside the sella. When the tumor enlarges to a certain extent and breaks upward through the diaphragm sellae, headaches are often alleviated. However, if the tumor further grows into surrounding tissues, it might compress important blood vessels and nerves, resulting in recurring pain with increasing severity.

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Is a pituitary tumor easy to treat?

Currently, the treatment technology for pituitary tumors is relatively mature. For early-stage pituitary microadenomas that are only a few millimeters in size, and where vision and visual fields are not yet affected, a definite diagnosis can be made. Under the surgical microscope, complete removal surgery is achievable, and it is possible to preserve the normal function of the pituitary gland. As surgical experience continues to increase, not only can tumors within the sella be removed, but even large adenomas or giant pituitary adenomas growing above the sella can be safely excised. Therefore, for patients with pituitary tumors, it is advisable to choose to visit a local hospital as early as possible and opt for a complete removal of the pituitary tumor through a transnasal transsphenoidal approach.

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Are pituitary tumors prone to recurrence?

Pituitary tumors in the brain are benign tumors that grow slowly. When the tumor size is relatively small, there are generally no clear symptoms or signs, and most patients can work, live, and study like normal people. It is recommended to treat pituitary tumors with surgical methods. Most pituitary tumors are benign. If they can be completely removed through microscopic surgery, or through the transnasal transsphenoidal approach, minimally invasive surgery can achieve ideal treatment results and generally will not recur. However, for individual patients with pituitary tumors, if the tumor is malignant, it may easily adhere to surrounding tissues in the early stages, making it difficult to completely remove surgically, thus it is prone to recurrence.

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Neurosurgery
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How many days of hospitalization for pituitary tumor surgery?

For patients with pituitary tumors, it normally takes about one to two weeks to undergo surgery and be hospitalized. After surgery, it is appropriate for patients to rest in bed and refrain from getting up too early, mainly to monitor for any occurrence of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Premature activity might lead to cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea or even trigger intracranial infections. Additionally, after surgery, it is important to perform blood tests to check the levels of endocrine hormones in the body, primarily to assess whether important electrolyte and hormone levels are normal. If there are abnormalities, adjustments should be made promptly, and discharge can be considered once the patient's condition is stable.