Parathyroid Surgery

Parathyroid Surgery in Argentina

The parathyroid glands are very small, the size of a grain of rice (4 or more) that are located behind the thyroid gland. Despite its small size, they are very important as they regulate the level of calcium in the blood, which is involved in many biological processes and is important for the functioning of the muscular system and nervous system.

Hyperparathyroidism and Hypoparathyroidism

The parathyroid glands produce a hormone (PTH) that regulates the calcium levels in the blood. If any of these glands increases the production of this hormone, the blood calcium level may increase. This condition is called "hyperparathyroidism" because it originates from one or more parathyroid glands, is caused by the presence of a tumor (usually benign) that develops in them. On the other hand, hypoparathyroidism is the decreased function of the parathyroid glands.

How is it diagnosed?

The key to diagnosis lies in detecting a high level of calcium in blood or urine. This situation leads to a second stage where the parathyroid hormone level in blood is always increasing. Since this situation may go undetected, in some countries like the U.S., they include the dosage of calcium in routine analysis. The symptoms are often nonspecific, but consider this disease when there is grit or stones in the kidneys, changes in mood, muscle weakness or bone pain, among other symptoms.

Minimally Invasive Parathyroid Surgery

The most common treatment for this disease is the removal of the gland that is causing the problem because it may resolve the problem permanently.

The parathyroidectomy is characterized by its delicacy and detail as is necessary to identify all parathyroid glands to determine which ones are causing this problem so we can remove them.

In addition, this area is crossed by vital nerves, as the recurrent nerve that gives mobility to the vocal cords and voice concerns.

An incision of just one centimeter is made at the base of the neck, through which creates a workspace. With the help of a high definition camera, watching on a monitor the magnified image, the operation takes place using miniature instruments. In this way, it is possible to complete the surgery in great detail through a small incision, which gives a lot of security to the procedure when evaluating the results.

Parathyroidectomy Recovery

Once the parathyroid gland removal surgery is completed, the patient remains in the recovery room for observation until fully awake and able to function normally. After a day of observation, the patient is discharged the day after surgery.

You can perform normal activities after been discharge and is recommended to start physical activity 15 to 20 days after the operation. It is necessary to go to the specialist after 7 days to monitor progress until the final pathology report.

Advantages of the Laparoscopic Parathyroid Surgery

• Safer-Surgery: The image magnification allows to operate with greater detail, giving more security to the procedure.
• Best recovery: It generates a minimum tissue damage that allows a speedy recovery so the patient can return to work activity without discomfort or risk.
• Aesthetic result: Only a one centimeter incision remains at the base of the neck with an excellent cosmetic result.
• Intervening-professional team: These techniques can be performed by professionals with extensive experience in endocrine surgery and mini-invasive surgery.