Suite 2, Level 4/24-40 Bigge St, Liverpool NSW 2170
(02) 9810 9839
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Sydney Southwest Private Hospital

Suite 2, Level 4/24-40 Bigge St, Liverpool 2170
Get Directions (02) 9810 9839
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Mon - Fri:
9:00am - 5:00pm

Surgery performed by Dr Navin Niles Endocrine and Head & Neck Surgeon

What are the parathyroid glands?

The parathyroid glands are right behind the thyroid gland in your neck. These glands produce the hormone that helps your body control calcium levels in the blood. There are usually four parathyroid glands.

What is a parathyroidectomy?

Parathyroidectomy is surgery to remove one or more parathyroid glands. Associate Professor Niles may recommend parathyroidectomy if one or more of your parathyroid glands is producing too much parathyroid hormone.

This condition is called hyperparathyroidism. It is often caused by a small non-cancerous (benign) tumour called an adenoma. Parathyroid cancer is exceedingly rare and is almost never a consideration in this disease.

Parathyroid surgery is generally very safe, the risks of serious complications are very small. Deciding to have surgery is a big decision and you should feel confident in going ahead.

Why would you need to undergo a Parathyroid Surgery?

You might require parathyroid surgery when the following occurs:

  • Hyperparathyroidism: Overactivity in the parathyroid glands.
  • Parathyroid Adenoma: A benign tumour of one or more of the glands.
  • Parathyroid Hyperplasia: Overactivity and growth of all of the glands.
  • Parathyroid Cancer: Malignant tumour of one of the glands

Parathyroid overactivity could be associated with loss of calcium in the bones. This condition is known as osteoporosis and the symptoms can include, tiredness/lethargy, kidney stones, stomach pain, aches & pains in the joints, cognitive decline, or constipation. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below for answers to our FAQ’s. In addition to this, you will find a range of information sheets over at our Services page. If you require further assistance, then feel free to email us via the Contact page. 

The reasons for removing a nodule (lump) from the thyroid include – it causes symptoms including difficulty swallowing, it is cosmetically concerning, it is overactive, it is cancer. The aim of investigation of a thyroid nodule is to exclude these reasons and so to, if possible, avoid needing surgery.

Many people think a thyroid nodule is not part of the thyroid. In fact, the nodule is within the thyroid. Its removal usually requires the removal of half (hemithyroidectomy) or the whole thyroid gland (total thyroidectomy).

Not because of your surgery. Weight loss or gain is as a result of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. Ideally, thyroid hormone levels following surgery can be adjusted by administration of thyroid hormone to be within the normal range. In these circumstances, surgery or being on thyroxine replacement are not responsible for weight gain or loss.

The lymph nodes removed in neck dissection are in the order of 25% of the lymph nodes of the entire head and neck, which are only a fraction of the nodes in the entire body. Whilst it is possible that recovery from surgery and other treatment may render the patient less able to avoid some infections, this is more to do with general conditioning than the effect of lymph node removal.

No. The high level of calcium in the blood of a person with hyperparathyroidism is largely because the bones are being stripped of calcium. In the presence of high levels of parathyroid hormone (hyperparathyroidism), it is not possible for calcium to be laid done to strengthen bones.

It is fairly normal for even a perfectly healing wound on the neck to become darker over the first 6 months of healing before eventually fading. It is true however that it is most unusual for the scar to disappear, and that someone who has had surgery will always be able to see the scar.

As discussed on the parotid surgery page, the key to parotid surgery is the identification and preservation of the facial nerve. This nerve exists at the base of the skull about 4cm deep to the skin of the earlobe. Because the nerve is deep at this point, and this is the safest place to identify the nerve, the incision needs to be large enough to afford a good view. Once the nerve is found, the branches of the nerve need to be traced through the gland, past the tumour to allow for the safe removal of the tumour.

A/Prof Niles is a General Surgeon. Most General Surgeons contribute to the local community by taking part in an on-call roster at their local hospital to provide Emergency and Trauma Surgery cover. So, when A/Prof Niles is on-call at either the Northern Beaches, Sydney Adventist, Norwest or Liverpool Hospitals, he is required to care for those people who present to the Emergency Department with general surgical problems. This workload varies considerably, but can include appendicitis, cholecystitis, bowel obstruction and traumatic injuries to name just a few. Our aim is to provide excellent surgical care to any patients whose care we are entrusted.

Parathyroidectomy
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What to expect from Parathyroid surgery?

Parathyroid surgery is similar to thyroid surgery. Surgery is performed on the gland behind the thyroid and is performed under general anaesthesia. The surgery typically takes around 1-2 hours.

You will be completely unconscious throughout the procedure; you will be monitored closely to ensure everything is running smoothly and comfortably. Incisions will be made By Dr Navin Niles as small as possible, while still being as precise as possible.

Within a few hours of your surgery, you should be able to walk around, eat, and drink normally. However, your throat will still feel sore, and you should rest your neck. You might need to stay in the hospital for one or two days to recover post-surgery. Most people recover within 1-2 weeks.

Recovery

Most patients recover quickly from their parathyroid operation and are well enough to leave the hospital the next morning. We advise taking it easy at home for 10-14 days after parathyroidectomy. Some patients feel unable to relax or have to return to work, they can do this after about five days.

Occasionally the recovery time may be longer, for example, if the voice is recovering and we take this into account when providing a medical certificate. The neck muscles may be stiff and occasionally a little sore, you should not drive until you can turn your head comfortably to have full vision of the inside lane and when reversing.

Heavy household work should be avoided for two weeks and heavy manual work, especially involving heavy lifting avoided for six weeks. Similarly, contact sport should be avoided for six weeks, but exercise to maintain fitness such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling can be started after a few days.