Parathyroidectomy is a surgical procedure for removing one or more parathyroid glands. This surgery is indicated for patients suffering from parathyroid adenoma, hyperparathyroidism, or parathyroid cancer.
In the case of a diseased parathyroid gland, most often in patients with primary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism, only the affected gland (adenoma) is removed. Cases of removing only one affected gland (parathyroid adenoma) make up the vast majority of parathyroidectomy procedures.
The parathyroidectomy is performed under general anesthesia, with a small transverse incision made at the lower part of the neck. Ideally, the surgeon makes the incision along a pre-existing skin fold. In rare cases, usually for patients requiring bilateral exploration of the neck, a slight widening of the incision by one to two centimeters is often necessary.
In the case of a solitary parathyroid adenoma, the surgeon initially focuses on the affected side. The surgeon then identifies and carefully removes the parathyroid adenoma.
For patients with diffuse hyperplasia of all parathyroid glands, the surgeon performs bilateral neck exploration to locate all the parathyroid glands. Subsequently, either subtotal parathyroidectomy or total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation of part of a parathyroid gland is performed.
At the end of the surgery, the skin incision is closed with an intradermal suture, ensuring an excellent aesthetic result.
