Carling Adrenal Center hits 2,222 adrenal surgeries

By AI, Created 4:39 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The Carling Adrenal Center at Tampa’s Hospital for Endocrine Surgery says it has reached 2,222 adrenal operations just four years after opening, underscoring how rare the procedure remains in most U.S. hospitals. The milestone comes as World Hypertension Day approaches and highlights the link between adrenal disorders and hard-to-diagnose high blood pressure.

Why it matters: - Adrenal surgery is one of the rarest endocrine operations in medicine, and outcomes are better at higher-volume centers. - The milestone underscores how much specialized experience can matter for patients with complex adrenal disease, including Cushing’s syndrome and Conn’s syndrome. - The timing also puts a spotlight on adrenal disorders that can contribute to severe or difficult-to-control hypertension.

What happened: - The Carling Adrenal Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida, says it completed its 2,222nd adrenal surgery. - The center reached that mark four years after the hospital opened in 2022. - Rebecca of Maryland traveled to Tampa for surgery to treat Cushing’s syndrome after nearly a year of researching adrenal disease and surgeons. - Her case was discovered after an emergency room visit for pelvic pain and fever led to a CT scan that found an adrenal mass.

The details: - The center says it regularly treats patients from all 50 states and many countries. - Rebecca said online research led her to adrenal.com and then to Dr. Tobias Carling. - Rebecca chose Tampa over a nearby option in Baltimore because of Dr. Carling’s experience and the center’s posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy technique. - The posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach is a minimally invasive adrenal surgery performed “through the back.” - Rebecca said online resources from Dr. Carling’s website and YouTube channel helped her understand her diagnosis and treatment options. - Rebecca believes years of anxiety, elevated cholesterol, fatigue, sleep difficulties, stress intolerance, easy bruising and trouble losing weight may have been linked to undiagnosed hypercortisolism and Cushing’s syndrome. - Published research cited in the release shows about 80% to 90% of adrenalectomies are performed by surgeons doing five or fewer adrenal cases a year. - The same research says the median surgeon volume is one adrenal surgery per year. - Published guidelines often define “high-volume” adrenal surgeons as those performing four to seven adrenalectomies annually. - Higher-volume surgeons and centers have been associated with better patient outcomes. - The center says it treats Cushing’s syndrome, Conn’s syndrome, pheochromocytoma, adrenal cancer and other complex adrenal diseases.

Between the lines: - The release is designed to argue that rare endocrine surgery belongs in centers that see these cases often. - Rebecca’s story is used as an example of how patients with adrenal disease may spend months sorting through symptoms before finding the right specialist. - The World Hypertension Day tie-in broadens the message beyond surgery and toward earlier recognition of adrenal causes of high blood pressure. - Dr. Carling said many adrenal disorders go undiagnosed for years because symptoms such as weight gain, anxiety, fatigue and metabolic issues are often treated one by one instead of as part of a larger endocrine problem.

What’s next: - The center says it will continue drawing patients from across the U.S. and abroad for specialized adrenal surgery. - Rebecca urged newly diagnosed patients to find an endocrinologist who knows adrenal disease and to learn as much as possible before choosing care. - The release directs readers to more information on adrenal disease and adrenal surgery.

The bottom line: - In a field where many surgeons do only a handful of adrenal cases a year, the Carling Adrenal Center is using volume and specialization to make the case for referral to expert centers.