Parathyroidectomy in chronic renal failure: has medical care reduced the need for surgery?

Subtotal or total parathyroidectomy is sometimes required for the management of severe secondary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Advances in medical and dialysis care may have a beneficial effect on hyperphosphatemia and vitamin D status, which could, in turn, reduce the need for parathyroidectomy. We used the United States Renal Data System to test this hypothesis. We found that the percentage of prevalent end-stage renal disease patients undergoing subtotal or total parathyroidectomy has declined significantly from 1988 to 1998. It is likely that improved medical and dialysis care has enabled this result.