Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute | Tampa General Hospital

Tampa General Hospital’s Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute specializes in the evaluation and surgical treatment of thyroid and parathyroid disorders for patients from all over the globe. More parathyroid operations have been performed at Tampa General than at any other hospital in the world, and our renowned parathyroid surgeons, Dr. Douglas Politz and Dr. José Lopez, are the two most experienced parathyroid surgeons operating in the world today.

TGH is also recognized as One of the Top 20 Hospitals in the Nation for Diabetes & Endocrinology and One of the Nation's Best Hospitals for Ear, Nose & Throat by U.S. News & World Report 2023-24.

World-Renowned Parathyroid Surgeons

Drs. Politz and Lopez have a combined three decades of experience and have performed more than 13,000 parathyroidectomies and many thyroidectomies as well. They have dedicated their careers to parathyroid and thyroid disease, combining this experience with superior knowledge and skill, complemented by their warm, engaging manner.

Through their commitment to a personalized patient experience, they have received dozens of awards, including Patients’ Choice Awards, Compassionate Doctor Awards and Top Doctors Awards. In addition, they are co-authors of the largest study of parathyroid patients published in the medical literature (over 20,000 patients).

MEET DR. DOUGLAS POLITZ

MEET DR. JOSE LOPEZ

 What Makes Our Institute Special?

A Dedicated, Experienced and Knowledgeable Team

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 of the glands’ disorders.
For example, our surgeons have performed more than 35,000 individual parathyroid gland examinations. As world leaders in their field, they have trained the most experienced handful of parathyroid surgeons who have followed them in the field. Because our surgeons are so skilled, patients from all areas of the United States and the world have come to TGH’s Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute to receive the individualized care they need.

Expert Parathyroid & Thyroid Treatment

We treat a variety of parathyroid disorders and thyroid disorders, such as primary, secondary, tertiary hyperparathyroidism, Goiters, thyroid cancers and thyroid nodules. About 30% of parathyroid patients also have thyroid pathology, and our surgeons have the unique capability of understanding each patient’s unique situation and recommending the treatments that will best suit their needs.

At TGH’s Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute, we:

  • Examine all four parathyroid glands — Many clinics will only examine the problem gland, but our specialists look at all four glands to ensure nothing is missed.
  • Perform minimally invasive outpatient surgery — Our parathyroid and thyroid procedures are fast, requiring a small incision and only 20-25 minutes of operative time.
  • Maintain a low complication rate — Because our procedures are minimally invasive, the risk for surgical complications is drastically reduced. .
  • Ensure patients enjoy a quick recovery — Our surgeries allow patients to go home the same day and recover quickly.
  • Offer the highest cure rates — We can cure nearly 100% of the parathyroid and thyroid disorders we treat.
  • We also offer the same minimally invasive techniques when appropriate for thyroid surgery.
  • Passionate and Patient-Focused Care

TGH’s Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute is one of the best treatment centers for diagnosing and treating parathyroid and thyroid disorders. While the experience, knowledge and dedication of our surgeons, nurses, physicians and technicians is the main reason for the high cure rates we achieve, another important benefit of choosing us is our patient-focused approach.

We value every patient we work with, and we want their time with us to be as stress free as possible. Being diagnosed with and undergoing treatment for any health issue can be a worrisome time for some patients, but our passionate team is devoted to creating a simple, individualized and transparent process.

Our patient process typically starts when a patient calls our office. Our friendly and knowledgeable office staff happily answers questions, schedules appointments and teaches patients how to navigate MyChart. If a patient meets certain criteria, we will move forward with a free consultation. Most parathyroid clinics charge a fee for their consultation, but at TGH’s Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute, we believe that having access to no extra fess initial appointments helps lessen a patient’s burden both financially and emotionally. Since we provide our service to patients from all over the world, we offer virtual consultations to make appointments more accessible to all.

In addition, our doctors and nurses are always available to answer questions and address concerns following every procedure. In fact, Drs. Politz and Lopez give post-op patients their personal contact information.

The entire team at TGH’s Parathyroid & Thyroid Institute, from our specialists to our office staff, is here to help make the journey as easy as possible for every patient.