A Parathyroidectomy is often done to treat overactive parathyroid glands, a condition called hyperparathyroidism.

Parathyroidectomy is surgery to remove one or more of the parathyroid glands or a tumour that's affecting a parathyroid gland. In many cases, only one of the parathyroid glands need to be removed to effectively treat hyperparathyroidism.

You may need this surgery if one or more of your parathyroid glands makes too much parathyroid hormone (hyperparathyroidism). Hyperparathyroidism can cause you to have too much calcium in your blood. That can lead to a number of problems, including weak bones, kidney stones, fatigue, memory problems, muscle and bone pain, excessive urination and stomach pain, among others.

Surgery is most often used to treat primary hyperparathyroidism. It happens when one or more of the parathyroid glands is overactive. The most common cause of this overactivity is an adenoma — a growth in a parathyroid gland that is not cancer. It can also occur when the parathyroid glands are enlarged (hyperplasia). A cancerous tumor is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. When the rise in blood calcium caused by primary hyperparathyroidism leads to symptoms, surgery is often needed to lower the amount of calcium in the body.

Consultations for all aspects of Ear, Nose and Throat disease, with a special interest Thyroid, Parathyroid and Salivary Gland Surgery.

This includes assessment of thyroid lumps and symptoms leading to the surgical treatment of hyperthyroidism if required.

Parathyroid glands are four tiny structures, each about the size of a grain of rice. Most people have four little parathyroid glands in the neck, two on either side of the thyroid gland. They are located behind the thyroid at the bottom of the neck.

These glands make parathyroid hormone. That hormone helps keep the right balance of calcium in the bloodstream, as well as in body tissues that need calcium to work correctly. Parathyroid hormone is essential for nerves and muscles to work properly and for bones to be healthy.

Parathyroidectomy cures almost all cases of primary hyperparathyroidism and returns blood calcium levels to a healthy range. Symptoms caused by too much calcium in the blood may go away or greatly improve after this procedure.

After parathyroid glands are removed, the remaining parathyroid glands may take some time to work properly again. This, along with uptake of calcium into bones, can lead to low levels of calcium — a condition called hypocalcemia. You may have of numbness, tingling or cramping if your calcium level gets too low. This usually lasts only a few days or a few weeks after surgery. Your health care provider may advise that you take calcium after surgery to prevent low calcium. Typically, blood calcium eventually returns to a healthy level. Rarely, hypocalcemia may be permanent. If so, calcium supplements, and sometimes vitamin D, may be needed long term.