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The Influence of Surgical Approach on Quality of Life After Parathyroid Surgery

  • Endocrine Tumors
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

It is well established that quality of life improves after parathyroidectomy. Less well understood is the impact of surgical approach on quality of life during recovery. This study was undertaken to determine whether surgical approach influences quality of life after surgery for hyperparathyroidism.

Methods

A total of 146 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for hyperparathyroidism were administered the SF-36 Health Survey 1 week before, 1 week after, and 1 year after surgery.

Results

Ninety-eight patients had minimally invasive parathyroidectomies, while 48 patients had bilateral explorations. All patients were normocalcemic >6 months after surgery. Hospital length of stay was significantly shorter in those undergoing a minimally invasive operation (mean ± SE, .2 ± .0 vs. .9 ± .0 days, P <.001). The rate of complications was not statistically different (3.1% vs. 6.3%, P = .40). Quality of life improved after surgery for hyperparathyroidism, irrespective of surgical approach. The minimally invasive group greatly improved in four scales 1 week after operation, while those with a bilateral exploration improved in two. After 1 year, the minimally invasive group had statistically improved in eight categories, while the bilateral exploration group did so in only four (P <.05 for all).

Conclusions

With improvements in surgical outcomes and quality of life, these data provide additional evidence that minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is the operation of choice for patients with hyperparathyroidism.

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Acknowledgments

J.T.A. is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Training Fellow and is supported by the University of Wisconsin General Clinical Research Center. The authors thank Yi-Wei Zhang, BS, for his assistance in data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, H4/750 Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792, USA

    Joel T. Adler BA, Rebecca S. Sippel MD & Herbert Chen MD, FACS

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  1. Joel T. Adler BA
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  2. Rebecca S. Sippel MD
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  3. Herbert Chen MD, FACS
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Correspondence to Herbert Chen MD, FACS.

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Adler, J.T., Sippel, R.S. & Chen, H. The Influence of Surgical Approach on Quality of Life After Parathyroid Surgery. Ann Surg Oncol 15, 1559–1565 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-008-9879-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-008-9879-0

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