Total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue for renal hyperparathyroidism. A one- to six-year follow-up.

From 1975 to 1981 total parathyroidectomy and parathyroid autotransplantation were carried out in 62 patients for renal (secondary) hyperparathyroidism. The paper reports on 46 patients followed for one to six years (mean 2.2 +/- 1.2 years). Forty-one were on chronic hemodialysis, three were predialytic, two had a functioning renal graft. There have been two different groups of indications: one in which hypercalcemia was the main reason for surgery (59%), the other in which severe renal osteopathy (bone pain, radiologic and histologic signs, elevation of alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone) was observed. Among 45 patients not previously operated on for hyperparathyroidism, five parathyroid glands were removed in three patients, four glands were removed in 36 patients, and three glands were removed in five patients. In one patient previously operated (thyroid surgery), two glands were removed. Tissue was immediately autografted into a forearm muscle. One patient (two glands removed) received a cryopreserved tissue six months after neck exploration. An improvement of bone pain, pruritus, and radiologic signs of renal osteopathy was noted in about 80% of patients. At one to six years no patient was hypercalcemic, in 44 patients the grafted tissue was functioning normally after an average time of 5.8 +/- 1.4 months. One patient is still on low-dose, supplemental therapy for slight hypocalcemia 14 months after autotransplantation. In another patient a part of the grafted tissue was removed for increasing parathyroid hormone levels. Serum concentration of alkaline phosphatase and serum parathyroid hormone decreased after surgery. One- to six-year results after total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation for renal hyperparathyroidism are considered to be extremely satisfactory.