Dr. Brendan Stack jr., md, facs, face
Head and Neck Surgery
Springfield , IL
34 years experience male
Locations
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Springfield , IL
SIU Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Springfield , IL
About
Bio
Currently, Dr. Stack is Professor and Chairman of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, Springfield, IL. Dr. Stack has authored over 200 peer-reviewed papers, chapters, books, and internet articles. He has presented at over 300 meetings regionally, nationally, and internationally. He collaborates on grants from the NIH. Dr. Stack has appeared on, or been cited by, local and national media numerous times. He serves on numerous editorial boards. Dr. Stack is listed in Best Doctors of America (since 2006), Guide to Americas Top Surgeons (since 2004), Guide to Americas Top Physicians (since 2009), Castle and Connolly Top Doctors and Cancer Specialists (since 2014), and Top Thyroid Doctors (since 2004).
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Head and Neck Surgery
Doctor Q&A
223 Answers
76 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Type of Doctor.: If you suspect Hyperparathyroidism, seek out an endocrinologist. If you already have the diagnosis, seek out an experienced head and neck or endocrine... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
High calcium: High calcium, if from hyperparathyroidism and left untreated, places one at an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, and renal failur... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
400 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Diagnosis: Typically an endocrinologist can evaluate and diagnose hyperparathyroidism.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old male asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
A goiter: 50% of 50 yr olds have thyroid lumps. 30% are found by the patient, 30% are found on examination, and 40% are incidentally found on X-rays of various ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Elevation.: Thyroglobulin autoantibodies can be present in benign/malignant thyroid disease. If you have a diagnosis of papillary or follicular cancer, their pres... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Treat low vit D: I would get the low vitamin D treated and then recheck the labs. The 25OH vit D should be above 30. This will likely correct any of the other mild rep... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Broken ribs : A 43 yo male shouldn't have rib fractures without a history of significant chest trauma. Your bones are likely osteopenic or osteoporotic. This needs ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
662 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Thyroid surgery: This means removal of part or all of your thyroid. Half removal is hemithyroidectomy. Complete thyroid removal is total thyroidectomy.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Normal calcium: Calcium levels are more frequently discussed as they are part of most packaged lab testing these days. If you receive a high value, it's always best ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Onset of thyroid med: The thyroid meds take 5 have lives to equilibrate. The half life of thyroxine (T4) is 7 days. So, once you start on or change your T4 dose, it takes a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Calcium supplement: Calcium carbonate is the most commonly used. If you tolerate this well, then it is good. An alternative is calcium citrate. You can get all of the cal... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
301 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Tests thyroid nodles: Free T4 and TSH are the basics. These two determine high (hyper), normal, or low (hypo) thyroid. Then f autoimmune disease is a consideration, thyrogl... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Typically it one: Here's a reference for you:
1: Ruda JM, Hollenbeak CS, Stack BC Jr. A systematic review of the diagnosis and treatment of primary hyperparathyroid... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Find parathyroid: 1. Ultrasound because it's cheap and can be done by most high volume practitioners in their office.
2. 4D CT. This is new but far superior to the ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Hard to diagnose.: HPT is hard to diagnose in its early stages because tumors are small, PTH levels are lower, and PTH and calcium levels can fluctuate from day to day o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Genetic.: Thyroid cancer can be genetic but is most often sporadic (random). Your doctor will send you for genetic valuation if he/she suspects its a hereditary... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Heterogenous nodule: Although heterogeneity is a feature of malignant thyroid nodules, it's not an absolute. There are several features on ultrasound which suggest maligna... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Low calcium: Tingling or hypoesthesia of the fingers, nose, toes, and or lips is a sign of low calcium. This can also be accompanied by leg and loot cramps, especi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Very high cal: Numbness is not classic for high calcium but low. You said very high calcium. I don’t know how high but I would not delay having that addressed.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
303 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Treating graves: There are 3 treatments for Graves' disease, medication, radioactive iodine ablation, and surgery. Medications block the effects of the overproduction ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Gland: No gland secretes vitamin D. It is absorbed through the gut and activated through various organs (skin, liver, and kidneys). 40% of Americans are vita... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Uncommon post op: What you describe is uncommon for post parathyroid surgery. Thoughts that come to mind are excessive fluids given during surgery (was it long?) or an ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Nephrologist: NO! Nephrologist are kidney doctors, not surgeons. I would recommend a surgeon who has extensive parathyroid surgery experience, especially with mult... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Thyroid diagnosis: The answer to your question is yes and no. Hyperthyroidism can be transient but hypothyroidism tends to be permanent.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Disagree: Institute on medicine says you should be above 30. Some think that some cancers are associated with chronic low vitamin D. 40% of North Americans are... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Vitamin D injection: Vitamin D can be given by injection but needs to be done with great care as overdose and toxicity are possible. The vast majority of times, Vitamin D... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Left over tissue: What you describe could be scar, left over normal thyroid tissue, or thyroid cancer. Ultra sound guided fine needle biopsy, +/- molecular markers and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old male asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Colitis: Inflammation of the bowels (colitis) can effect vitamin D in several ways. It can affect the micro bacteria of the gut which effect Vitamin D absorpti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Low calcium: Stack BC Jr, Bimston DN, Bodenner DL, Brett EM, Dralle H, Orloff LA, Pallota
J, Snyder SK, Wong RJ, Randolph GW. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL
ENDO... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
High PTH low ca: This condition is due to your gastric bypass. Calcium and vitamin D are absorbed in the small bowel. This is now bypassed. The PTH is elevated due to ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
% cancer: 5 % of thyroid nodules are cancerous in general. There are other things to consider that would increase the risk profile. Age over 50, male gender, an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Multiple nodules: Multiple does not necessarily mean dangerous. In fact, most people presenting with thyroid nodules have many. Each individual nodules carries its own ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Dangerous: Taking 1 thyroid pill won't hurt you. If you kept taking the, for weeks, you would start having symptoms and the greatest risk old be a heart dysrhyth... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 69-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Diagnose HPT: The diagnosis is made by measuring the total or ionized calcium in you blood with a matched measurement of intact PTH hormone.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Hyperparathyroidism: The CURE for hyperparathyroidism is surgical removal of the enlarged gland or glands (you have 4). There is medical treatment but it is NOT a cure, it... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Ultrasound.: There ar several features of thyroid cancer. They include, by are not limited to: blurred borders, microcalcifications, increase vascularity, extensi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 58-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Liver, calcium, and: Hyperthyroidism, most commonly from Graves' disease can cause an increase in liver function (enzyme) levels and elevated calcium from increase breakdo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Synthroid: Being 2 months post op, and supposedly having been started on or had a weight based dose correction for the hormone replacement, you are at the right ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
230 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Asymmetry bulge: I would seek an ophthalmologic consultation. Your eyes can be measured for projection. You may need to get a CT scan to look for what is happening beh... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Treatment thyca: Surgery, surgery, surgery.
Post op radioactive iodine occasionally.
Conventional chemotherapy is ineffective.
New oral chemotherapy small molecules... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 53-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Leg pain: It is possible 6 weeks after surgery but uncommon. If you had severe osteoporosis, it could take a while to recover. The pain might not be explained b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
High calcium: >10.2 is elevated for calcium. First thing is to check it. If it persists, you need a battery of tests that looks at all of the possible reasons (... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Depends on size.: If the tumor is less than 2 cm ( latest ATA guidelines), not multi focal, no poor histology, no lymph nodes, you can stop and be observed with just th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 53-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
High calcium: Go to an endocrinologist. This may result in a referral to a head and neck or endocrine surgeon. If you have primary hyperparathyroidism, surgery is... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
231 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Absorbable sutures: They can be used in thyroidectomies,, both hemis and totals. I have done it that way since 1999.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
It depends: It depends on what is the cause of the high calcium. If it is from metastatic cancer or hyperparathyroidism, lifestyle would not effect a meaningful c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
479 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Papillary/follicular: Differentiated (or well differentiated) thyroid cancers generally are slow growing and indolent but occasionally they can be aggressive. It is hard to... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
General oral...: General endo tracheal anesthesia is the most common general anesthesia given and most common for parathyroid surgery. Some docs prefer LMA which is de... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
HPT: You have hyperparathyroidism. If left untreated, your risks of heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, and chronic kidney disease are ALL increased. This... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
303 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 61-year-old female asked:
Head and Neck Surgery 34 years experience
Iodine, etc.: There is no time restriction on taking iodine. As for the anti inflammatory, you should ask your surgeon.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
41
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks! thanks, i just wish things would show up on bloodwork so i can get some help, im taking kelp right now
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you for the explanation!
HealthTap member
Thank you. I just had parathyroid surgery and I appreciate your answe
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Eastern Virginia Medical School, VA
Graduated 1989MD
Residency
University of S. Florida
Awards
"Best Doctors in America"
2001- 2012 Castle & Connolly's America's Top Doctors List (annual)
distinguished service award
Affiliations
American Academy Of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
American Thyroid Association
American Head And Neck Society
Publications
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