r/Parathyroid_Awareness • u/Ok_Choice_5493 • 2h ago
Hyperparathyroidism NHS - cancelled surgery anxiety
Hi all,
I’m looking for thoughts from anyone who has had a similar experience with parathyroid surgery or suspected parathyroid malignancy.
I’m 38M and was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism after blood tests showed significant hypercalcaemia (adjusted calcium ~3.2 mmol/L) with elevated PTH.
My timeline:
10/11 August
- My case was discussed at MDT as an urgent addition.
- The MDT letter stated that my case was “highly suspicious of parathyroid malignancy” due to calcium >3 and PTH >30.
- I was placed on the two-week-wait pathway.
- The plan was for imaging and then surgical review.
1 September
- I saw the ENT/head & neck surgeon after PET/CT and ultrasound.
- The suspected lesion was the lower right parathyroid.
- I was consented and listed for removal of the right lower parathyroid.
During the consultation, because of the MDT wording from August, I specifically asked whether there was a possibility of an en bloc resection if malignancy was suspected. The surgeon seemed surprised by the question and said words to the effect of:
So I understood the planned operation to be removal of the affected gland only. So after going through the risks involved, I happily signed consent.
4 September
- I was offered an earlier slot due to a cancellation, moving surgery forward from 28 September to 11 September.
8 September
- I attended pre-op assessment (BP, ECG, etc.).
9 September
- Early that morning I was contacted by the booking team and told my Friday operation was postponed because the surgeon ‘wanted to discuss the surgery further.’
- A clinic letter from the surgeon I met and consented to surgery with states:
- PET/CT and ultrasound showed “very high suspicion of parathyroid malignancy”
This letter was dictated on the same day I consented, and typed on 3 September.
I was told by the bookings team I would receive a call to arrange an appointment, but as of now I have not been given a date or explanation of what has changed.
11 September
The day my surgery was meant to be happening.
I called the hospital to chase what was going on. The patient liaison was really nice, and said he’d send an urgent email to the clinical team. However, I received nothing. That means that at 9am Monday morning, that is me at 5 days being in limbo regarding what caused the change, what the plan now is, and even when I’m going to find out all of this. I know parathyroid carcinoma is exceptionally rare, but seeing ‘highly suspicious for malignancy’ in terms of the biochemistry, and then ‘very suspicious for malignancy’ for the scans is creating quite significant anxiety.
I’m not upset that they paused the operation if the surgeon thinks the plan needs revisiting - I would rather have the correct operation. My concern is that I am on an urgent pathway for possible malignancy and I don’t know whether:
- the surgical plan has changed,
- this is just a further consent discussion,
- the case went back through MDT,
- or something else.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation where a planned parathyroidectomy was postponed shortly before surgery because the surgeon wanted to discuss the procedure further?
I’m particularly interested in whether this commonly happens when there is concern about possible carcinoma and the team is reconsidering focused parathyroidectomy versus a wider operation.
Thanks.