Staff Reporter
Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital has become the first private healthcare facility in Andalusia to adopt the PTeye™ device for parathyroid gland detection during thyroid surgery. This innovative technology marks a significant advancement over conventional techniques due to its enhanced precision and ability to preserve healthy tissue.
“The introduction of PTeye™ represents a major step forward in endocrine surgery,” explains Dr Dieter Morales, specialist in the hospital’s Endocrine Surgery Unit. “One of the main challenges we face in this type of surgery is the inadvertent injury to the parathyroid glands.”
The parathyroid glands are four tiny structures located in close proximity to the thyroid gland, and their main role is to regulate calcium levels in the body. Accurate identification and preservation of these glands is crucial, as damage can lead to hypoparathyroidism. This condition requires lifelong medication to maintain calcium levels and, in some cases, may exacerbate pre-existing osteoporosis.
The PTeye™ device uses fluorescence to assist surgeons in identifying and confirming parathyroid tissue during surgery. This improves accuracy and helps safeguard healthy tissue. As Dr Morales explains, the device emits a signal that generates a precise image of the tissues, based on the higher fluorescent response of parathyroid tissue compared to thyroid tissue.
The Endocrine Surgery Unit at Quirónsalud Marbella is a pioneer in routinely incorporating this technology into all thyroid surgeries and in cases involving parathyroid adenomas (benign tumours). Although initial trials with the PTeye™ began in late 2024, the hospital is now publicly sharing the positive outcomes achieved. In fact, the unit’s findings will be presented at the upcoming European Society of Endocrine Surgeons Congress, taking place in Turkey this May.
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This development, combined with systematic monitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, the use of cutting-edge haemostasis devices, vocal cord ultrasound, and a multidisciplinary approach involving endocrinologists, pathologists, oncologists, and radiologists, positions the hospital at the forefront of surgical innovation. The unit is also leading the way in the use of new technologies for the treatment of thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal conditions, with particular expertise in complex surgeries and thyroid cancer procedures.
The Endocrine Surgery Unit operates within the General and Digestive Surgery Department, headed by Dr Enrique Aycart. The department, which comprises ten surgeons, plays a key strategic role within the hospital and performs over 1,000 surgeries annually. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and has fully integrated laparoscopic surgery across all areas of the specialty, including benign and malignant hepatobiliopancreatic disease, colorectal cancer, gastro-oesophageal reflux and hiatal hernia, adrenal gland surgery, as well as inguinal and abdominal wall hernia repairs. Many of these procedures are carried out as major outpatient surgery, allowing patients to return home on the same day.
Dr Dieter Morales is an Associate Professor at the University of Málaga, a European Board-certified specialist in Endocrine and Emergency Surgery, the Andalusian representative of the Endocrine Surgery Section of the Spanish Association of Surgeons, and current President of the Spanish Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.
For more information, please visit www.quironsalud.com/marbella or call +34 952 774 200
