OBJECTIVE. To compare the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy with localised unilateral neck dissection to the conventional method of bilateral neck exploration and parathyroidectomy as a surgical treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. Eleven patients diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism at Queen Elizabeth Hospital from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 were treated surgically with minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy. Their results were compared to a retrospective series of 15 patients treated by conventional bilateral neck exploration and parathyroidectomy between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2001. Demographic data; cure, recurrence, and complication rates; operating time; and hospital stay were analysed.

RESULTS. The cure rate was 100% in both groups. There was no recurrence in either group. Minor complication rates were 9% and 20% in the minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy and the control groups, respectively. Mean operating time was 63 minutes in the minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy group, and 92 minutes in the control group. The mean postoperative hospital stay for the minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy group was 1.36 days. Three of these procedures were performed as day surgery. The mean hospital stay for the control group was 2.93 days. The operating time and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy group.

CONCLUSION. Minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy is a viable alternative treatment method for primary hyperparathyroidism. It has comparable cure and recurrence rates to the conventional approach. It is safe, with a lower complication rate, and has the benefits of being a shorter procedure and allowing a shorter hospital stay. It can be performed as day surgery, further reducing hospital costs.

Key words: Parathyroid hormones; Parathyroidectomy; Surgical procedures, minimally invasive

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