What are the Parathyroid glands?
There are four parathyroid glands located behind the thyroid gland in the neck on either side of the windpipe. Parathyroid glands are normally about the size of a grain of rice and produce parathyroid hormone (PTH), which controls the level of calcium in our bodies.
What is Hyperparathyroidism?
When the parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone, the condition is called hyperparathyroidism. This causes an over absorption of calcium which may result in brittle bones and an increase in levels of calcium in the blood.
Persistently high calcium in the blood leads to a variety of problems such as:
- Severe osteoporosis and osteopenia
- Bone fractures
- Kidney stones
- Peptic ulcers
- Pancreatitis
- Nervous system complaints
In most cases, hyperparathyroidism is caused by a non-cancerous (benign) tumor in one of the parathyroid glands. A single enlarged parathyroid gland is called a parathyroid adenoma. Over 95% of cases are confined to a single parathyroid gland.
What is a Parathyroidectomy?
If medical control of hyperparathyroidism is not a viable option, surgical removal of one or more parathyroid glands may be necessary. This procedure is called a parathyroidectomy.
In more than 95% of cases, only one parathyroid is causing the problem and needs to be removed. Unfortunately, locating the offending gland has usually required a large incision in the throat to allow the surgeon to examine each of the glands and find the one causing the problem.
Surgical Consultants of Hollywood surgeons perform minimally invasive parathyroidectomy using intraoperative nuclear mapping also called minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy or MIRP.
Minimally Invasive Radioguided Parathyroidectomy (MIRP)
Minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy has a higher success rate and a lower risk of complications than traditional parathyroid surgery. Using a tiny dose of radioactive medication, the hyperactive parathyroid can be identified during the surgical procedure using a special probe. Once located, the parathyroid gland is separated from surrounding tissue and removed. The entire operation can be completed in less than 30 minutes.
This minimally invasive procedure has an excellent 98-99% success rate. Most cases are performed without needing an overnight hospital stay and the tiny surgical incision heals quickly with minimal discomfort.