Parathyroid glands aren't located in the same place in every body. Each of the four glands is about the size of a grain of rice, making them sometimes difficult to find.
After a parathyroidectomy, follow-up blood tests are done to determine if surgery was successful. The tests will examine your blood calcium parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. If both levels are determined to be normal, your surgery is considered a success.
At Penn Medicine, we see many patients who have had a failed parathyroid surgery. Because we perform among the highest volume of parathyroid surgeries in the country, we know where to look when locating the parathyroids. We've seen it all, and our breadth of experience helps deliver improved outcomes in patients whose abnormal parathyroids can be found during imaging, as well as those that cannot.
What to Expect During a Reoperative Parathyroid Surgery
We understand the frustration and disappointment that comes with a failed surgery, and we will work with you to cure your hyperparathyroidism. Fewer than 5 percent of all parathyroidectomies fail; however, nearly 99 percent of those patients can be cured of hyperparathyroidism with a second surgery.
Reoperative parathyroid surgery is complex and poses distinct challenges, but we have the experience to overcome them. The best predictor of successful reoperative parathyroid surgery is an experienced surgeon.
Your first surgery likely caused a sclerotic grid, or the hardening of the tissues in your neck. Scar tissue was created when the tissues dissected during your original surgery fused together. Also, since your first surgery failed, it's likely that your affected parathyroid gland is in an ectopic (abnormal) location.