Parathyroid
There are four parathyroid glands in the neck. They are very small (each the size of a small pea) and they control how much calcium is in the body. Most of the time, the parathyroid glands work perfectly. Occasionally, one or more of the parathyroid glands can become overactive. This causes the body to have too much calcium in the bloodstream, a condition called primary hyperparathyroidism. While calcium is important to one’s health, too much calcium can produce several unwanted symptoms. These can include muscle and bone pain, osteoporosis, fatigue, weakness, kidney stones, and depression.
Usually, the cause of primary hyperparathyroidism is a benign (non-cancerous) tumor in one of the parathyroid glands. This tumor is called a parathyroid adenoma. There are other less common causes of excessive calcium as well. In most cases, primary hyperparathyroidism is treated with surgery to remove the abnormal parathyroid gland(s). In many cases, surgery is done through a small incision in the neck (usually around one inch long) – called minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. Patients who undergo parathyroid surgery are often discharged home from the hospital either the same day, or the next day.