Can Parathyroid Disease Improve By Itself?

Parathyroid disease is a progressive disease. In other words, it will only get worse over time. The condition will not improve or go away on its own.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is most commonly caused by one or more of the parathyroid glands forming a tumor that secretes excessive parathyroid hormone. Normally, parathyroid glands stop secreting parathyroid hormone (PTH) when there is normal or elevated calcium levels in the blood. With diseased parathyroid glands, this process does not "turn-off" in response to a normal or elevated calcium levels. Instead, the gland continues to secrete PTH. This causes an elevated calcium level in the blood stream that will cause health problems.

Normal symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism include bone pain, osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), kidney stones, and abdominal discomfort.

Because the disease is caused by a tumor, the tumor will only continue to grow with time.

Even if the calcium levels do not rise further than slightly elevated levels, there is still continual damage being done to the patient’s bones and skeletal system. The long-term effects of this damage are severe and permanent.

Because parathyroid disease does not improve by itself and the secreted PTH will be too powerful for any drug to counteract, patients diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism require surgery. A patient may not be experiencing the symptoms of bone pain, kidney stones, or abdominal discomfort. The constantly elevated parathyroid hormone level is causing thinning of the bones and abnormally elevated calcium levels in the bloodstream. A ‘wait and see’ approach is not advised if there is a suspicion of parathyroid disease.

New testing and surgical techniques have dramatically changed the way parathyroid operations are performed.
The traditional surgical technique requires the parathyroid surgeon to place a large incision in the neck to locate and examine the four parathyroid glands located behind the thyroid. The tumorous gland or glands are then located and removed. Patients that opt for traditional surgery require at least one night of hospitalization. In the end, the patient is left with a large inch scar on the neck.

Preoperative parathyroid imaging and localization of the abnormal parathyroid tumor enables a minimally invasive or "mini-incision" approach to parathyroid surgery. Finding the tumor before incision allows the surgeon to make a smaller incision without the need to do a traditional neck exploration. Because over 90% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism have a single diseased parathyroid gland, it's usually not necessary to explore all four glands.

Minimally invasive parathyroid surgery is an outpatient procedure that requires an incision of only a one-inch or less, and the procedure can be performed in less than half an hour. Minimally invasive surgery helps patients recover faster with minimal neck scarring.

 WE ACCEPT AND WILL WORK WITH ALL MAJOR UNITED STATES INSURANCE PLANS.
Take advantage of our expertise. Register and learn more about your parathyroid surgery treatment options.