Description

Parathyroidectomy (pair-uh-thie-roid-EK-tuh-me) is surgery to remove one or more of the parathyroid glands or a tumor that's affecting a parathyroid gland. Parathyroid (pair-uh-THIE-roid) glands are four tiny structures, each about the size of a grain of rice. They are located behind the thyroid at the bottom of the neck. These glands make parathyroid hormone. That hormone helps keep the right balance of calcium in the bloodstream, as well as in body tissues that need calcium to work correctly. Parathyroid hormone is essential for nerves and muscles to work properly and for bones to be healthy. Parathyroidectomy often is done to treat overactive parathyroid glands, a condition called hyperparathyroidism (hi-pur-pair-uh-THIE-roy-diz-um). In many cases, only one of the parathyroid glands need to be removed to effectively treat hyperparathyroidism

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