Endocrine surgery: the tenth report. Diagnosis, surgical indications and operative strategy of renal hyperparathyroidism

Abstract

In Japan, there are many dialysis patients because of the successful development and wide application of dialysis techniques. Almost all patients require long-term hemodialysis treatment because kidney transplantation is performed rarely. Renal hyperparathyroidism is one of the serious complications for hemodialysis patients. According to the overview of regular dialysis treatment reported by the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy, parathyroidectomy is required in 9.2%of patients who remain on hemodialysis more than 10 years and in 33.5%of those who so remain for more than 25 years. In this paper, we will describe the diagnosis, surgical indications, and operative strategy of renal hyperparathyroidism. The symptoms and biochemical variables were high serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) level, hyperphosphatemia, bone and joints pain, itching, irritability, muscle weakness, severe skeletal deformity, progression of ectopic calcification, and anemia. The clinical indications for performing parathyroidectomy to treat renal hyperparathyroidism in our institute are based on the indications reported by Tominaga et al. These are 1) high serum PTH level, 2) detection of enlarged parathyroid glands, 3) detection of osteitis fibrosa cystica on radiography or detection of high bone turnover by bone metabolic markers or bone scintigram, 4) resistance of symptoms to medical treatment. The routine operative procedure for renal hyperparathyroidism is total parathyroidectomy with forearm autograft. For autotransplantation, 30 pieces sliced 1x1x3 mm of diffuse hyperplasia are implanted into 30 pockets in the forearm without arteriorvenous (A-V) fistula for hemodialysis. In any surgical procedure for renal hyperparathyroidism, it is crucial to identify all parathyroid glands, including supernumerary glands and ectopic glands. At the initial operation for renal hyperparathyroidism, the surgeon must remove all parathyroid glands to avoid persistent and recurrent hyperparathyroidism and choose proper and adequate parathyroid tissue for autograft.