Parathyroid Disease
What is puzzling about parathyroid disease is that patients are often unaware that the disease is present. Symptoms of parathyroid disease include feeling lethargic or tired, difficulty in concentrating and what patients describe as not “feeling like themselves”. Other people with parathyroid disease experience feelings of malaise and generalized weakness. Patients often overlook these common symptoms and most people wouldn’t even think there was a problem.
Symptoms:
General symptoms of parathyroid disease are:
|
|
Hyperparathyroidism can be hereditary. There is a proven familial association with primary hyperparathyroidism, which can be associated with multiple endocrine neoplasias (a constellation of endocrine problems). If primary hyperparathyroidism runs in your family, be sure to let your doctor know so that you can be evaluated immediately.
Diagnosis:
Your endocrinologist should reconfirm your labs in their office before you visit a surgeon. Usually, they will ask you to collect your urine for 24 hours, so they can evaluate your calcium levels. If you have not done this, you will need to do so before your evaluation with the BMI of Texas surgeon, as you will need to bring this information to your initial surgical evaluation. Your endocrinologist should also order a bone density scan prior to your surgical consult. This test needs to have been administered within 12 months of your surgical evaluation. A bone density scan is very telling because the parathyroid gland produces a hormone called parathyroid hormone that circulates through the body and is picked up by your bones. The hormone begins to leech the calcium out of your bones, making them weaker. The leeched calcium is then collected and filtered out by the kidneys, which can result in kidney stones.
One of the great benefits to having primary hyperparathyroidism surgery is that your bone density will increase. You should have yearly bone density scans after parathyroid surgery that will show a definite improvement of your bone density. Likewise, problems with kidney stones can be resolved by having the surgery as well.
Parathyroid Surgery:
The surgery is administered at the Methodist Specialty and Transplant hospital and can last anywhere between one and three hours. The surgeon will make an incision generally about 2” – 3” in length. It is known to be a safe procedure as there is less than a 1% chance of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (nerve responsible for your voice) and also a less than 1% chance of injury to all four parathyroid glands.
Recovery:
Patients usually spend one night in the hospital after a routine visit to the recovery room after the surgery. Usually, patients are talking, walking, eating and drinking the night of their surgery. Patients will be seen by the surgeon, and often times, the endocrinologist, and will go home the following day. We ask you not to drive for a couple days because your neck is likely to be sore, but there are no other significant restrictions on you after the surgery.
You will need to follow up with your doctors within 2-3 weeks after your surgery. During that time, many patients will report feeling much better. They usually feel sharper, more attentive and have more energy.
An overwhelming amount of patients are cured after surgery and do not require extensive follow up appointments.