Parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism in maintenance dialysis patients

Parathyroidectomy was performed during a 5-year period in 11 of 196 patients undergoing maintenance dialysis for renal failure. Characteristics of the series were relatively long periods of dialysis, severe symptomatic bone disease, hypercalcemia, increased alkaline phosphatase, greatly raised serum levels of immunoreactive parathyroid hormone and X-ray changes appearing as abnormal bone structure, metastatic calcifications and pathologic fractures. Most of the operations consisted of total parathyroidectomy alone or accompanied by autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue. Subjective and objective improvement followed the operation in most cases, and the outlined indications thus appeared to be adequate. However, only a minority of the patients became symptomfree, and current methods of treating autonomic hyperparathyroidism in patients on regular dialysis must be regarded as suboptimal. The relative indications for the 2 types of operations are discussed. Total parathyroidectomy may be an acceptable operation for patients of this category.