Minimally Invasive Radioguided Parathyroidectomy

The surgical management of hyperparathyroidism has evolved over the last 20 years, transitioning from routine bilateral neck exploration to, frequently, a minimally invasive approach. Adjuncts which have made this transition possible include advancements in imaging techniques which allow the pre-operative localization of adenomatous glands, the rapid parathyroid hormone assay and the use of 99-m technetium sestamibi injections the day of surgery to allow for gamma probe detection of abnormal glands. The gamma probe can help with gland localization, which can be particularly useful in a re-operative field or with glands in ectopic locations. It is also helpful in confirming that excised tissue is abnormal parathyroid tissue, alleviating the need for frozen sections during surgery. In this chapter we discuss and review radioguided minimally invasive parathyroidectomy.