So here are the questions I have so far for my PTH surgery consult tomorrow.

[karen547]

How long is the surgery?
How invasive? Scarring?
Recovery?
Will I be able to stop my Sensipar right away?
How soon can I have the surgery?? (I'm in quite a bit of pain, and need to get back to school asap.)
Can the glands grow back?

So do you guys think I should ask anything else?? Thanks!! 

[Dianejt]

You might want to ask what would the worst complication from this surgery be. I am reading a book "How Doctors Think" and they suggest you ask that question so the surgeon would think about every worst case senerial could be.

[Zach]

You may want to ask what is hungry bone syndrome and how will your post-op care plan meet the challenge.

[aharris2]

Ask how long you will be in the hospital and what is the criteria for release (as Zach mentioned, hungry bones)

[natnnnat]

The problem is that it is hard to ask about the unknown... because you dont know what needs asking.  (apart from the suggestions from people here who may have been there...)  So try asking what patients tend to be not expecting about the surgery.  I asked that, before my husband's knee surgery and he went into a whole set of extra descriptions about recovery.

Ask if he is doing the surgery or a sidekick?

Ask if there are likely to be any common complications and what he would do about them. 

Ask for a copy of your signed consent form so that you can refer back to it later.

Ask how you could prepare for surgery (throat lozenges if they stick a tube down your throat, toothbrush if your going in overnight, loose dress if its abdominal ... I don't even know where PTH surgery is located [blush])

[KICKSTART]

Well i can answer one of them for you ..yes they do grow back , how long it takes i dont know though.


natnnat ..PTH is done on your neck 

[Red from Canada]

I just had the surgery 2 months ago.  The scar is gone and I now feel much better.  They are following up because they are checking my calcium levels twice a week through blood tests and adjusting Caltrate and rocaltrol(vitamin D) accordingly.  I was in for 9 days, but had other problems.  Most are not in that long.  The calcium levels take a few months to come back to normal, but you will notice an improvement in how you feel almost immediately.  I had severe bone pain and it is GONE.  Good luck to you.

[karen547]

KS, You are wrong, they dont grow back, I asked the surgeon that myself. I will be in for about 2 weeks, I am probably having the surgery next week and feel much better meeting with the surgeon and NP. I am so ready to not be so sore!

[Zog]

Jenn had this surgery in January.

The surgery took about 2 hours.

She has a 2 1/2" long scar on her neck.  It isn't very wide and not very noticeable.

She was walking around the next day.  Stayed in the hospital about a week waiting for her calcium to stabilize.  HUNGRY BONES! Calcium!  Nom Nom Nom!

She stopped taking Sensipar immediately and now she only takes calcium.  PTH has a half life of only a few minutes, so once the glands are gone the PTH goes away immediately.  They test your PTH during the surgery to know how much to cut out.

I think the surgery would help your pain so I don't think that would delay the surgery.

She has one quarter of one of the glands left.  They don't grow back if they are removed, BUT you have to keep some or part of one.  You have to keep some glands or part of a gland in order for your body to regulate calcium.  The remaining gland(s) can grow larger just like the removed ones did.  You can have repeat surgeries to whack off more of the gland if you don't watch your phosphorus. 

[KICKSTART]

Yeah this must be what they meant about it growing back , they leave one third of the gland.

[karen547]

Yeah. They leave some in to regulate your level.

[noahvale]

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