The Effects of Parathyroidectomy Versus Medical Treatments for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in Patients Undergoing Dialysis: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

The management of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients undergoing dialysis is debated, with uncontrolled parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels becoming more common despite the expanded use of medical treatments like cinacalcet. This study examines the clinical benefits of parathyroidectomy versus medical treatment in reducing mortality and managing key laboratory parameters in patients undergoing dialysis. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for cohort studies or randomized controlled trials published before August 18, 2023. We included studies with comparative arms, specifically medical treatment versus surgical intervention. Patients with a history of kidney transplant were excluded. Outcomes were analyzed using hazard ratios (HR) for mortality and weighted mean differences (WMD) for laboratory parameters. Twenty-three studies involving 24398 patients were analyzed. The pooled meta-analysis has shown a significant reduction in all-cause (HR, 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.61) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40-0.84) for parathyroidectomy versus medical treatments. Subgroup analysis showed that parathyroidectomy was associated with a greater reduction in mortality in patients with a PTH level over 585 pg/mL (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.24-0.58). No mortality difference was found when all patients in the medical group received cinacalcet alongside standard medical treatment (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.49-2.11). Parathyroidectomy also led to a larger decrease in PTH (WMD, 1078 pg/mL; 95% CI, 587-1569), calcium (WMD, 0.86 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.43-1.28) and phosphate (WMD, 0.74 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.32-1.16). Parathyroidectomy may offer a survival advantage compared to medical management in patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.