Complex Parathyroid Surgery Benefits Norwood Hospital Patient

3/10/2009

 Complex Parathyroid Surgery Benefits Norwood Hospital Patient

NORWOOD, Mass. – Complex parathyroid surgery to correct a female patient’s hormonal imbalance, which normally is performed only at major hospitals, recently was completed successfully at Norwood Hospital.

Jagdish K. Dhingra, MD, an otolaryngologist and surgeon, used minimally invasive, video-assisted surgery at Norwood Hospital to remove an abnormal growth called an adenoma, or benign tumor, from one of the parathyroid glands of Norton resident Donna Dumas, 54. The parathyroid produces a hormone (PTH) that controls calcium and phosphorous deposits in bones. Excessive PTH can cause anxiety, depression, kidney stones, abdominal pain, bone pain and osteoporosis.

“Norwood Hospital is proud to be able to offer its patients advanced services like this sophisticated surgical procedure that require the support of additional disciplines,” said Margaret Hanson, RN, the hospital’s president.

Patient benefits from this minimally invasive technique include a small incision, short hospital stay, quick recovery and minimal pain. The surgery employs a slender tube called an endoscope that contains a video camera and instruments. “The video gives the surgeon a very clear image of the surgical field and makes the procedure quite safe,” Dr. Dhingra said. “This is true even though the surgery takes place close to vital structures like the carotid artery and jugular vein, the main blood vessels to and from the brain, and the delicate recurrent laryngeal nerve essential for speech.”

“The surgery definitely was successful from my perspective,” said Dumas, who is a patient of Norwood Hospital endocrinologist Padma Balasubramanian, MD. “I’m very pleased. I arrived one morning, had the surgery, stayed overnight and left the next morning, and I didn’t have to go to Boston. I actually had no pain at the place where the surgery was performed. Also, I can’t believe how well it’s healing.”

“This type of surgery has been done for several years, but has been limited to a few select tertiary care centers. To do it successfully, you have to have not only the surgical expertise and equipment, but also the support of an endocrinology department to identify appropriate candidates and pathologists, who are actively involved during surgery,” Dr. Dhingra said.

Lori Adcock, MD, Norwood Hospital’s chief pathologist, said three pathologists, assisted by a laboratory supervisor, performed blood and tissue tests during the surgery to monitor for complete removal of the tumor.

“Parathyroid surgery is conventionally performed with a large incision, even when only one of the parathyroid glands is involved,” Dr. Dhingra said, “but we’ve shown that with the right team of experts, minimally-invasive surgery can be offered to patients close to home. The endoscopic approach makes such good sense that it will become more the norm; although still restricted to the few surgical centers that can offer the staffing required.”

Norwood Hospital
The 264-bed Norwood Hospital, a Caritas family hospital, provides emergency, cardiology, advanced surgical, endoscopic, psychiatric, OB/GYN and Children’s Hospital Boston pediatric services and is a member of Caritas Christi Health Care, which is the second largest health care system in New England. Information about Norwood Hospital’s programs and services is available at www.caritasnorwood.org.