Medical Services - UW Medicine Pituitary Program

UW Medicine Pituitary Program

The UW Medicine Pituitary Program provides comprehensive treatment to patients with disorders of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. The specialists on our multidisciplinary team are experts in diagnosing, treating and curing pituitary and (hypothalamus) hypothalamic disorders.

Did you know?

The pituitary gland — your body’s "master gland" — is responsible for keeping your hormones in balance. About the size and shape of a kidney bean, the gland is located at the base of the brain, between the eyes.

Our expertise

Our multidisciplinary team has vast experience managing a broad spectrum of pituitary disorders, from the simple to the complex.

Here are a few examples of what we do:

UW Medicine’s highly skilled pituitary surgeons use Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery (TSS), a minimally invasive procedure in which your surgeon uses an angled endoscope to remove the pituitary tumor. TSS is useful in treating some of the most complex pituitary tumors.

For more information please listen to this Patient Power story about our advances in pituitary surgery.
If you have a syndrome resulting from hormone overproduction — such as Cushing’s disease or acromegaly — and you can’t have surgery or surgery hasn’t been effective, our endocrinologists can develop a plan to manage your disorder.
If your pituitary gland isn’t working correctly, our endocrinologists are also highly experienced in the precise management of hormone replacement therapy.

How it works

If your doctor believes you may have a pituitary tumor or disorder, the first step is a referral to our clinic. Your test results will be evaluated at the weekly Skull Base Tumor Board at Harborview Medical Center, which is attended by our endocrinologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, neuroradiologists, and radiation therapy physicians. After this evaluation, the team prepares a diagnostic and therapeutic plan individually customized for you.

The clinic also offers detailed outpatient evaluation, including thorough office visits, hormone testing, radiology studies (such as an MRI) and vision exams.

If you’re suffering from the effects of a pituitary tumor or disorder, the physicians at the UW Medicine Pituitary Program Clinic can help. We are committed to excellence in patient care, to the advancement of knowledge regarding all aspects of pituitary diseases, and to the education and involvement of referring physicians in the care of their patients referred to our clinic.