Dr. Tobias Carling of the Carling Adrenal Center
Tobias Carling MD, PhD, FACS. Dr. Carling is one of the world's most experienced adrenal surgeons, and a surgeon-scientist whose work covers adrenal gland function and disease, adrenal tumors and cancer, and all forms of adrenal gland surgery. He has performed thousands of adrenal operations over his career, including more than 2,400 since January 2022 alone. Surgeons come from around the world to learn from Dr. Carling. Below you can review some of the educational adrenal surgery videos.
WARNING: The videos on this page show actual adrenal operations performed by Dr. Carling. If you are not comfortable seeing operations, please do not scroll any further! These are real videos of real adrenal operations that Dr. Carling has captured in high definition in the management of adrenal tumor disease. You will see everything that is important. As you can see, the anatomical dissection is very clean, with very little bleeding. It takes years and hundreds of operations to be able to provide this level of intricate detail in these operations. This level of dissection comes from performing the operation several times a week; the typical surgeon who performs adrenal surgery does about one adrenal operation per year. Find the best adrenal surgeon you can possibly find for your adrenal tumor disease. Complications of adrenal surgery may affect your quality of life forever, and the wrong operation may lead to further, more complicated surgery and even failure to control your disease. Adrenal surgery is very sub-specialized and, in our view, not everyone should be doing it. You will not see anything to identify any individuals in these videos, unless they expressly wished to be identified to help inform other patients like you. Blood loss in expertly performed adrenal surgery is typically minimal, so you don’t need to be fearful of that. But if you are concerned about your ability to look at surgery, do not view these surgery videos. The videos are very real. Our goal here is to educate patients (and physicians, including your PCP, endocrinologist, nephrologist and cardiologist) about the true art of adrenal surgery. Do not assume that this surgery is performed in the same manner by every surgeon.Start here. This video is an animation of the partial (adrenal-sparing) adrenalectomy: Anyone can watch this video and understand when partial adrenal surgery is the best option
View a video of Dr. Carling performing an adrenal-sparing adrenalectomy for bilateral pheochromocytoma via the MBSA. Adrenal-Sparing Adrenalectomy (MBSA)
You can also watch the video of Dr. Carling performing an adrenal-sparing adrenalectomy for bilateral pheochromocytoma via the MBSA here: Adrenal-Sparing Adrenalectomy (MBSA)
Watch a patient of Dr. Carling describe her experience coming from Massachusetts to have her operation with Dr. Carling here: Traveling to the Carling Adrenal Center for adrenal surgery.
To review a video describing the Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA) for primary aldosteronism (PA), also called Conn's syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism, watch Dr. Carling perform the operation, which typically takes about 20 minutes, here: If you have primary aldosteronism, ask whether surgery could cure the cause of your high blood pressure rather than treating it with pills for life.
In this longer video, Dr. Carling discusses high blood pressure and the toxic effects of excess adrenal hormone production from an adrenal tumor. He also discusses the Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA) for PA and other disorders here: Learn how an adrenal tumor that causes high blood pressure can be removed with a short operation, rather than "managed" with pills for a lifetime.
Dr. Carling can remove selected cancerous tumors via the Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA); known or suspected adrenal cancers and very large tumors may need a different approach. In this case, he describes why it is crucial that your adrenal surgeon personally reviews your scans in detail. Have Dr. Carling review your CT scan very carefully prior to adrenal surgery, so you can have the right operation.
Dr. Carling performing a partial, adrenal-sparing Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA).
This video also describes the Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA) for PA. Please note that the tumor had not been mentioned in the original CT report, even though it was clearly visible on the scan. Have Dr. Carling review your CT scan very carefully prior to adrenal surgery.
Have One of the World's Most Experienced Adrenal Surgeons Perform Your Adrenal Surgery
Dr. Carling is one of the highest-volume adrenal surgeons in the world, performing up to 750 adrenal operations a year. About half of our patients come from outside Florida, including from around the world. Our staff will help with every aspect of your trip here except the travel itself. We'll even help you with hotel rooms.
A short operation and a short hospital stay. More than 95% of our operations are performed as a Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA), a minimally invasive operation through the lower back, and most patients go home the next morning. Nearly all patients will have three small scars on their lower back, each only one-half to one inch long. The operation typically takes about 20 minutes. Dr. Carling believes that every patient should have the same operation that he would want for himself or his family, and thus we don't use surgeons-in-training, surgery residents or surgery fellows to do your operation. If you come to the Carling Adrenal Center, Dr. Carling personally performs your operation and takes care of you at the hospital.
Last updated October 2026.
Become Our Patient
Patients needing adrenal surgery travel from all over the world to have their operation with Dr. Carling, one of the world's most experienced adrenal surgeons. This page discusses how you can have your adrenal operation at the Carling Adrenal Center with Dr. Carling himself.What to read next
- Have your Adrenal Surgery with Dr. Carling. We have an entire page that will walk you through this process. We take almost all insurance types for the operation, but some people will elect to pay for an Online Second Opinion Consultation with Dr. Carling before traveling to Tampa for the operation.
- Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy (MBSA) Dr. Carling performs up to 750 adrenal operations a year, more than 95% of them as an MBSA. Learn more about this quick operation to remove an adrenal tumor.
- Standard Adrenal Surgery and Other Adrenal Operations. See the other ways adrenal surgery is performed, and why we believe they are not the best choice for most patients.
- How to become our patient