Curing Sestamibi Negative Hyperparathyroidism

At Fort Lauderdale Endocrine Surgery (www.ftles.com), we specialize in minimally invasive parathyroid resection (MIRP) through a tiny 2 centimeter incision (less than 1 inch). Unfortunately many patients have been denied access to this 21st century surgical technique because their sestamibi parathyroid scans performed in hospitals or free-standing out-patient nuclear scanning facilities do not locate the diseased and enlarged parathyroid(s). In the November 2008 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Endocrine Practice, Dr. David Bimston and myself report that the pre-operative use of endocrinologist-performed high-resolution parathyroid ultrasound locates enlarged parathyroids in nearly 2/3's of sestamibi scan negative patients. This is great news for hyperparathyroid patients because more people now qualify for a curative out-patient minimally-invasive procedure. The advantages of this approach are a tiny cosmetic scar and avoidance of hospitalization with its attendant risks (infection with antibiotic resistant bacteria).At our surgical facility, the Imperial Point Minimally Invasive Surgical Center (MIESC), we are also able to document surgical cure of hyperparathyroidism while the patient is on the operating table with our use of intra-operative parathyroid hormone testing. This technology allows for rapid measurement of the expected drop in parathyroid hormone blood levels after successful minimally invasive removal of parathyroid tumors. In 8-15% of patients, hyperparathyroidism is not cured with the removal of one gland; in fact, some patients have 2, 3 or even 4 enlarged and hyper-functional parathyroid glands. Because sestamibi and ultrasound occasionally do not detect these multi-gland patients, we use intra-operative parathyroid hormone testing as a fail-safe procedure, to make sure that cure has been achieved. Should you wish to read the full text article from Endocrine Practice, please visit our website at www.ftles.com. For a consultation appointment, please call 954-267-8883. You may also email us at info@ftles.com, if you desire further information regarding MIRP.