The Lister Hospital
Chelsea Bridge Road, SW1W 8RH London
Parathyroidectomy
A surgical procedure to remove overactive parathyroid glands
Why do I need a parathyroidectomy?
If one or more of your parathyroid glands are overactive it leads to a raised calcium level in your blood.
If this is detected in a blood test your consultant may recommend you have an operation to remove one or more of the diseased glands. This is the only treatment for this condition.
Need to know
Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP)
If pre-operative scans found your overactive parathyroid gland, your radiologist will mark your skin over the area where the gland is located. Your consultant will then make a cut to find and remove the gland.
Routine parathyroidectomy
If scans did not find your overactive gland, your consultant will make a two inch cut in a skin crease in the middle of your neck. They will use this larger cut to explore both sides of your neck to find and remove the overactive gland. The incision is closed with dissolvable stitches under your skin.
Your consultant will let you know how best to prepare for this surgery. You should inform them of any medications you are taking.
A nurse will check your temperature, pulse, breathing and blood pressure and ask you about any pain you may have. You will be offered pain relief to relieve this. It is normal to have to stay in hospital for one night following the procedure.
You will have an intravenous drip in your arm that will be removed as soon as you are able to drink enough fluids. Your urine will be green for a couple of days following the operation due to the blue dye injected to help locate your parathyroid glands.
The incision area should be kept dry for 48 hours but it can be left without a dressing.
Our Parathyroidectomy locations
The Wellington Hospital
8A Wellington Place NW8 9LE London
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
The Harley Street Clinic
35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ London
The Princess Grace Hospital
42-52 Nottingham Place W1U 5NY London
Devonshire Diagnostic Centre
Devonshire Street W1G 7AF London
The Shard Outpatients
The Shard, 32 St Thomas Street SE1 9BS London
Sydney Street Outpatients
102 Sydney Street SW3 6NR London
Golders Green Outpatients
Golders Green Outpatients and Diagnostic Centre NW11 9PY London
Patient stories
Yvette's story: From back pain to hip replacement surgery
Yvette (54) a journalist from Kent, started experiencing pain in her hip seven years ago in 2015. An ex-national gymnast who had been incredibly active and flexible her whole life, Yvette felt concerned about the growing discomfort impacting her quality of life, and so sought help from her GP.
A new hip and straight back into the spin of things
David’s gym video shows him repeatedly pushing up to 100kg on a single leg press – not particularly unusual for this keen cyclist, former competitive squash player and all-round fitness enthusiast. What is unusual is that 52-year-old David had hip surgery just 12 weeks earlier.
Michael's MAKO hip surgery to treat his arthritis
73 year-old Michael, an avid walker and charity worker, was diagnosed with arthritis in January 2021. After facing long waiting times and increasing pain that was becoming more frequent, he started to look elsewhere for treatment.
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.