Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Brain Neurotumor Center Surpasses 1,000 Cases of Endoscopic Pituitary Tumor Surgery

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Brain Neuro-Oncology Center at Catholic University Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced on the 25th that it has surpassed 1,000 cases of endoscopic surgery for pituitary tumors after successfully performing surgery on a 62-year-old male patient with a meningioma.

The pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure located above the paranasal sinuses behind the nose, at the center of the brain base. It is an endocrine organ that regulates the secretion of various hormones, including adrenal cortex hormones, thyroid hormones, sex hormones, and growth hormones, maintaining homeostasis in the body. When a tumor grows in the pituitary gland, excessive hormone secretion causes symptoms such as amenorrhea, acromegaly, and galactorrhea. As the tumor size increases, symptoms like visual field defects and diplopia appear.

Endoscopic surgery for pituitary tumors is performed by accessing the base of the brain through the nose without incisions on the scalp or skull. This results in less scarring and pain, and a shorter hospital stay, allowing patients to quickly return to daily life. Unlike traditional microscopic surgery, it provides better visualization, making it applicable to a variety of pituitary tumor patients.

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital performed its first endoscopic pituitary tumor surgery in November 2002. Since then, it has made remarkable progress by forming Korea's first pituitary multidisciplinary team, led by neurosurgery and otolaryngology, and operating an integrated multidisciplinary care system involving endocrinology, radiation oncology, pathology, ophthalmology, and radiology. The hospital reached 500 cases in 2015 and recently has increased the proportion of surgeries for challenging cases such as meningiomas, chordomas, and craniopharyngiomas, aiming for both quantitative and qualitative advancement in endoscopic surgery.

Center Director Jeon Shin-soon (Neurosurgery) stated, “We will strive to improve treatment outcomes for high-difficulty surgeries and introduce state-of-the-art ICG endoscopic equipment. We aim to establish ourselves as a leading medical institution in Korea for endoscopic pituitary tumor surgery and secure global competitiveness by collaborating closely with the multidisciplinary team to achieve better results.”

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