Parathyroid surgery, also known as parathyroidectomy, is a surgical procedure in which all or part of your parathyroid glands is removed. This surgery is recommended when your parathyroid glands, located right behind your thyroid gland, don’t function properly.
Dr. Madhu Prasad - a general surgeon in Anchorage, AK has the expertise and experience in performing parathyroid surgery with excellent outcomes.
When Do You Need Parathyroid Surgery?
The parathyroid glands control calcium and phosphorous levels in your blood. When your calcium level gets low, these glands produce parathyroid hormone (PTH) that takes calcium from the bones. Parathyroid surgery is required when your parathyroid glands produce harmfully high calcium blood levels. This condition is known as hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is caused due to the overproduction of PTH in parathyroid glands, called hyperparathyroidism.
You may need parathyroid surgery if you have: - Non-cancerous tumors called adenomas on or around the glands
- Cancerous tumors on or around the glands
- Parathyroid hyperplasia – when all four parathyroid glands are enlarged
Types of Parathyroid Surgery
The type of surgery your surgeon recommends depends on the location and how diseased parathyroid glands are:
- Traditional parathyroidectomy is where the surgeon makes an incision in the middle of your neck to explore all four glands and then removes the diseased gland. It is also called a bilateral neck exploration.
- Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is where the surgeon makes a small cut on one side of your neck to remove the diseased gland.
- Video-assisted parathyroidectomy is performed by making two small cuts – one for the camera and other for the instruments.
- Endoscopic parathyroidectomy is a procedure where the surgeon makes two or three small cuts in your neck for the endoscope and instruments and one cut above your collarbone that minimizes visible scarring.
[Also Read:
What Are the Differences Between Major Surgery and Minor Surgery]
How Is Parathyroid Surgery Performed?
General anesthesia is used during the procedure. Depending on the type of surgery, your surgeon makes one or more cuts in the center of your neck and removes the diseased glands. A special blood test is done during the surgery to check whether all the diseased glands are removed or not. In cases when all four parathyroid glands are required to be removed, your surgeon will transplant part of one gland into your forearm to help control the calcium level of your body.
At
Alaska cancer treatment center Far North Surgery, we use the latest equipment and advanced surgical procedures to offer the highest quality treatment and care. Our surgeon, Dr. Madhu Prasad is specialized in performing parathyroid surgery with the lowest rate of complications. Call us at
907-276-3676 to get the
best treatment option for endocrine disorders, or answers to any questions you may have.You can also
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