Who is the Best Surgeon for Adrenal Tumors?

Finding the Unwavering Adrenal Expert

This is, without a doubt, the most important question you will ever ask if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an adrenal tumor. It’s a question that cuts to the core of your health, your recovery, and your peace of mind.

As the Founder and Director of the Carling Adrenal Center. I have dedicated my entire career, my life's work, to the diagnosis and surgical treatment of adrenal tumors. I say this not as a boast, but as a crucial distinction. When you are facing a tumor on one of your critical, vital adrenal glands, you need a surgeon who is not only excellent but one who is an unwavering, singular specialist.

The truth is, for a rare and complex condition like an adrenal tumor, your surgeon's experience is not just a preference; it is the most critical factor influencing your outcome. If you are seeking the best surgeon for an adrenal tumor, you must search for the one with the highest volume and most advanced, specific expertise in the world.

The Critical Metric: Experience is Everything

In all of medicine, particularly surgery, we know that volume translates directly to better outcomes. This principle is especially true for adrenal surgery because, quite frankly, it’s not common. Most hospitals in the United States perform only a handful of adrenal operations per year, and 90% of adrenal surgeries are performed by surgeons who do five or fewer per year. This is a profound, and frank, concerning statistic that should motivate every patient to look beyond their local hospital.

For us at the Carling Adrenal Center, adrenal surgery is not a sideline; it is the singular focus. When I founded the Carling Adrenal Center, the first and only international institute dedicated solely to adrenal disease, I did so to ensure patients could access this critical high-volume expertise.

Let’s put it into perspective: We perform more adrenal operations in a single week than most hospitals perform in an entire year. I am, by any measure, the highest-volume adrenal surgeon in the world, performing over ten times the volume of any other surgeon in the United States. Approximately 12-14% of all adrenal operations in the USA are performed at the Carling Adrenal Center. Why is this critical? Because high volume means:

• Fewer Complications: Experience minimizes errors and maximizes precision.
• Faster Recovery: Expertise allows for the use of the least invasive, most advanced techniques.
• Better Cure Rates: Deep knowledge of tumor pathology ensures complete and clean removal.
• Comprehensive Knowledge: Having seen and treated virtually every type of adrenal tumor, there are no surprises.

Choosing a surgeon whose practice is dedicated to the adrenal gland is the single most important decision you can make. Do not settle for a general surgeon, a general endocrine surgeon, or a general urologist who "also does" adrenalectomies. You deserve the unparalleled expertise of a world-renowned specialist.

The Gold Standard Approach: Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA)

At the Carling Adrenal Center, we are not just high-volume; we are pioneers in the surgical technique that delivers the best results for over 99% of patients: the Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA).

This is the preferred operation for most patients, yet it is rarely performed by less experienced surgeons. Instead, they often default to the traditional Laparoscopic (Robotic) Trans-Abdominal Adrenalectomy (LTA), which, while minimally invasive, is an approach that requires working through the abdominal cavity, moving the bowel and other organs (liver, kidney, colon, pancreas, etc.) out of the way. This is a technique they know from performing gallbladder or hernia surgery, but it is not the ideal operation for the adrenal gland.

MBSA: The Clear Advantages

The MBSA, or Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenal Operation, approaches the adrenal gland directly from the back, completely bypassing the abdominal cavity. This provides remarkable benefits that dramatically improve your recovery.

This technique is a testament to the fact that the best surgeon is one who can tailor the approach to your specific disease and anatomy, prioritizing the least invasive and most effective route. Because I perform all types of adrenal surgery, I can select the exact technique, MBSA, Trans-Abdominal, or even Open Surgery for very large cancers, that gives you the best chance for a complete cure and the fastest recovery.

Beyond the Scalpel: The Surgeon-Scientist Advantage

My commitment to adrenal care extends far beyond the operating room. My background is unique: I am both a highly skilled surgeon and a PhD-trained scientist specializing in the molecular and tumor genetics of endocrine tumors. My extensive research background, with publications in elite journals such as Science, Nature Medicine, and the New England Journal of Medicine, means I don't just treat your tumor; I understand it at the deepest cellular level.

This surgeon-scientist advantage provides two key benefits for you:

1. Cutting-Edge Diagnosis and Treatment: I am constantly translating the newest research into clinical practice, ensuring you benefit from the most advanced diagnostic and surgical protocols available globally.
2. Expert Pathology and Genetics: We have an unparalleled understanding of rare genetic syndromes and complex tumor types, which is critical for accurate diagnosis and long-term surveillance.

Choosing a surgeon-scientist is choosing a doctor who doesn't just follow established protocols but is actively writing them. Just this year I have published:

• Carling T, LaRue M. Improved and individualized approach to adrenal surgery. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2025 Jul 7;32(7):e240296
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40549414/
• Carling T, Scholl UI. More about the Phase 2a Study of Baxdrostat in Primary Aldosteronism. N Engl J Med. 2025 Oct 16;393(15):1550
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41092341/
• Carling T. Adrenalectomy is underused: a call to reduce mortality. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2025 Dec;36(12):1068-1071
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41152053/

The Full Team: A Center of Excellence

Adrenal surgery is complex, and the best care requires a unified, multidisciplinary team, not just a single doctor in isolation.
The Carling Adrenal Center is located within the world-renowned Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida. Here, we work alongside the leading experts in thyroid and parathyroid surgery, creating a powerful trifecta of endocrine surgical expertise.
When you come to the Carling Adrenal Center, you gain access to an entire team dedicated to your adrenal health:

• Dedicated Adrenal Specialists: Our staff and doctors are focused entirely on adrenal disease.
• Seamless Care Coordination: We manage every aspect of your care, from initial consultation and imaging review to your operation and post-operative follow-up.
• Global Destination Care: We are accustomed to patients traveling from all over the world. Our team handles the logistics, providing you with peace of mind so you can focus on your health.

Your Path Forward: Ask the Right Questions

Finding the best surgeon for your adrenal tumor requires active participation and asking the right questions. When evaluating any potential surgeon, I urge you to ask these questions:

• "How many adrenalectomies do you perform each year?" (The answer should be in the hundreds, not five or ten.)
• "Do you perform the Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA)?" (If not, why?)
• "Do you perform partial (function-preserving) adrenalectomy?" (If not, why?)
• "What is your training specifically in adrenal tumors, beyond general surgery?"
• "What is your complication rate for this procedure?"

Do not let convenience or a local referral bias your decision. The difference between a high-volume, dedicated specialist and a general surgeon who occasionally performs an adrenalectomy can be the difference between a smooth recovery and a complicated one. My life’s mission is to offer every patient the best possible outcome. Patients travel to the Carling Adrenal Center from across the globe because they know that for an adrenal tumor, settling for anything less than a dedicated, world-leading expert is simply not an option. Your adrenal health is too important. We realize that not every patient can travel to Tampa but hope information here will help you make excellent decisions for your best health.

Dr. Tobias Carling, of the Carling Adrenal Center, is one of the world's leading experts in adrenal gland surgery. Dr. Carling performs more adrenal operations than any other surgeon in America. Dr. Carling left Yale University in 2020 to open the Carling Adrenal Center in Tampa, Florida.

To discuss the details of your case with Dr. Carling and become his patient, fill out the new patient form and he will be in touch with you shortly.

Additional Resources: 

• Learn more about the Carling Adrenal Center
• Learn more about Dr. Tobias Carling
• Learn more about our sister surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center, and Clayman Thyroid Center.
• Learn more about the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery