Can parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism be carried out as a day-case procedure?

Surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism has traditionally involved a bilateral neck exploration performed as an in-patient procedure. We present a feasibility study to demonstrate whether, with a focused surgical exploration, the procedure can be carried out as a day case.

Eighty-seven patients had pre-operative sestamibi and ultrasound scans of the neck. When the results of these scans agreed, a unilateral neck exploration was carried out.

Sixty-seven patients received a focused approach parathyroidectomy. Ninety-seven per cent of these patients were normocalcaemic after the first operation. All patients who fitted the day-case criteria left hospital the following morning.

When pre-operative imaging results agree, a parathyroidectomy can be carried out using a unilateral neck exploration, avoiding the increased risks associated with a bilateral exploration.

Parathyroidectomy can be safely carried out as a day-case procedure in selected patients.