Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases

Virtual visits are here! MUSC Health is pleased to announce safe, nationally-recognized care to both new and returning Diabetes and Endocrinology patients via face-to-face video visits. Online appointments with our doctors and other providers are available through our virtual care network. See your doctor online using your computer, tablet, or mobile phone. We will continue to offer expanded online care options throughout and after the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to meet the medical needs of the Lowcountry community.

Call 843-792-9200 to schedule a virtual visit. Learn more about virtual visits.

The Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolic Diseases program at MUSC Health diagnoses and treats patients with problems related to:

• Diabetes mellitus 
• Graves' Eye Disease
• Hypoglycemia
• Thyroid disorders
• Calcium-phosphorous metabolism
• Osteoporosis
• Pituitary-adrenal-gonadal disorders

Complete diabetic education courses are offered. Nurses and nutritionists are integral components of this program. This program and the related practices and services provide staff and facilities for sophisticated evaluation and treatment of metabolic and endocrine disorders, including the following:

• High cholesterol and other lipid disorders
• Diabetes and the complications of diabetes
• Osteoporosis and other bone diseases
• Genetic diseases affecting metabolism or sexual development
• Radioactive therapy for hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer
• Thyroid problems
• Obesity
• Diseases affecting any of the body's hormone glands such as the pituitary, gonads, adrenal glands

Endocrine surgery is a subspecialty of general surgery which is dedicated to the treatment of benign and malignant thyroid surgical diseases, hyperparathyroidism, benign and malignant adrenal tumors as well as functioning tumors of the pancreas.

Patients with the disease processes described below would benefit from an evaluation performed by a specialized endocrine surgeon:

• Thyroid nodules link to appropriate pages for all bullets throughout
• Thyroid cancers
• Benign goiters, intrathoracic goiters
• Familial endocrine diseases such as multiple endocrine neoplasia and familial hyperparathyroidism
• Hyperparathyroidism which is caused by the increased secretion of PTH which is produced by the parathyroid glands leading to elevated calcium levels, bone pain, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and fatigue
• Parathyroid cancer
• Functioning or nonfunctioning adrenal tumors
• Functioning pancreatic tumors

Our endocrine surgery service offers:

• Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy with the guidance of real-time intraoperative PTH measurements
• Mini-incision thyroidectomies with the use of small incisions and nerve monitoring to prevent nerve injury and voice change after the procedure
• Laparoscopic and open adrenalectomies
• Ultrasonography as part of the physical examination and as a guide for procedures that might be needed during the initial visit. 

At Hollings Cancer Center patients are seen at the Endocrine Tumor Clinic where a multidisciplinary team is involved in the care of patients with thyroid cancers coordinating their treatment between endocrinology, endocrine surgery, and nuclear medicine.