Diagnosis

Blood tests are needed to diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism. Both calcium and parathyroid hormone levels are checked.

Once a diagnosis is made, imaging tests help doctors determine which gland or glands are causing the problem. One or ore or all the parathyroid glands can be problematic.

Imaging tests that doctors might recommend include:

• A CT scan
• An ultrasound
• A sestamibi scan
• Venous sampling (this is used in rare situations when the parathyroid tumor is difficult to locate or the patient has already had a parathyroid surgery)

Treatment

Many people with parathyroid tumors have surgery. It is often very effective at treating both non cancerous and cancerous tumors.

Active surveillance for parathyroid tumors is another option. This approach involves closely monitoring your condition over time.

Parathyroid Surgery

Surgery involves removing the parathyroid tumor through a small incision in the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. While removing the tumor, we monitor the parathyroid hormone level very closely. Once all abnormal tissue has been successfully removed, there should be an immediate drop in the PTH level in the bloodstream.

After surgery, we closely monitors calcium and PTH levels. If additional treatment for osteoporosis or kidney stones is required, our patients begin those therapies after recovering from the operation.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

We have mastered the minimally invasive techniques extensively. We typically remove parathyroid tumors through very small incisions in the neck. Usually these cuts are made in natural skin creases so any scarring is hard to see.