Your parathyroid glands are four tiny glands in your neck that produce a hormone that controls calcium levels in your body. If these glands make too much or too little of the hormone, your overall health is affected. Sometimes people think the symptoms are simply due to aging. Over time, though, the symptoms become harder to downplay.
- 350+
- hyperparathyroidism surgeries performed each year
- 98%
- patients in our care for hyperparathyroidism who are cured after their first surgery
Hyperparathyroidism is the most common parathyroid condition. It occurs when you have too much parathyroid hormone. It can cause:
Abdominal pain
Anxiety
Bone pain
Constipation
Depression
Fatigue
Frequent urination
Headaches
Heartburn
Joint pain
Kidney stones
Memory problems
Muscle weakness
Nausea or vomiting
Palpitations
Thinning hair
Trouble concentrating
Trouble sleeping
At UW Health, we look at symptoms and test results to decide if you could have parathyroid disease. Doctors from around the country refer their patients to us. We also see people who have symptoms that have gone undiagnosed. We see those who think they may have been misdiagnosed as well.
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For many parathyroid conditions, surgery is usually required. The surgeries are done to remove enlarged glands and glands with tumors. These tumors are not usually cancerous. Most of these surgeries do not require an overnight stay in the hospital.
Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy
Uses imaging to find and remove a single abnormal gland through a tiny incision.
Bilateral exploration
Through the same small incision, your surgeon can view all four parathyroid glands and only remove those that are enlarged.
Radio-guided parathyroidectomy
Uses a special dye and probe to find problem glands. It may help doctors decide if there’s just one problem gland or more than one.
Ultrasound-guided parathyroidectomy
Uses sound waves to locate an abnormal gland.
Re-operative parathyroidectomy
Sometimes surgery doesn’t cure parathyroid disease the first time around. Doctors from around the world often refer these patients to us for further treatment.
Parathyroid autotransplantation
In parathyroid autotransplantation, surgeons place some of the parathyroid tissue they’ve removed into the muscles of your forearm. This helps your body maintain a healthy calcium level.
Patients with familial disease or who have had a previous parathyroid operation sometimes need an autotransplant to ensure that you will have adequate amounts of parathyroid tissue to meet your needs.
Genetic testing
Sometimes parathyroid disease runs in families. Our surgeons may recommend that you have genetic testing done to see if your relatives could be at risk. Our genetic counselors guide you through the process. They can help you make sure at-risk family members are tested so they can receive needed treatments early.
Dawn's story
Near-instant relief
For years, Dawn lived with troubling symptoms such as chronic pain and exhaustion. She didn’t know it then, but her symptoms were related to hyperparathyroidism. After connecting with UW Health and getting treatment, she experienced near-instant relief.
Jean's story
A trip to UW Health was well worth it
For more than a year, Jean had troubling symptoms that kept getting worse. A retired nurse from Illinois, she traveled to UW Health for help with parathyroid disease. Our team’s skill and persistence helped make the trip well worth it.
Julie's story
The moment Julie’s stomach started growling again was a moment of pure joy. It was just one of many exciting things to happen to Julie after having parathyroid surgery at UW Health.