Renal hyperparathyroidism

The indications for surgical treatment of renal HPT in patients with chronic endstage renal failure are symptomatic disease or failed medical management. The indications for patients who have had a kidney transplant are symptomatic disease and persistent hypercalcemia. It should be noted, however, that the current approach favored in the literature in asymptomatic, mild post-transplant hyperparathyroidism is conservative. Total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation is the most popular surgical method reported. I have done subtotal parathyroidectomy and reserved total parathyroidectomy for selected patients. My recurrence rate is comparable to that reported. The actual survival rate in our two groups of patients was 58 percent for the dialysis patients and 79 percent for the transplant patients. The actuarial survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years in the two groups were 95 and 92 percent; 59 and 67 percent; and 32 and 67 percent. The use of diphosphonates and medical rather than surgical control needs further study, as do the long-term effects of conservative treatment of asymptomatic post-transplant hyperparathyroidism.