Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy: a community hospital experience

Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) for primary hyperparathyroidism can be successfully performed using preoperative sestamibi scan and intraoperative radioguidance without the need of measurement of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. The purpose of our study was to review the outcomes of MIPs performed in a community hospital without measuring PTH levels intraoperatively and to demonstrate that this is an effective therapeutic modality with comparable success rates. We performed a retrospective medical record review of patients undergoing MIPs from April 1, 1998, through May 31, 2005, in a 500-bed community hospital. A total of 188 parathyroidectomies for primary hyperparathyroidism were performed by a single surgeon during the study period, 111 of which were MIPs. In this series of 111 patients, we found 2 recurrences, achieving a success rate of 98.2%. Higher preoperative PTH levels and gland weight had a direct correlation with the successful performance of MIP.