parathyroid

The parathyroid glands may be small, but their impact on our health is monumental. These four tiny glands regulate blood calcium levels via parathyroid hormone (PTH), vital for the optimal functioning of our brain, muscles, nerves, and many bodily processes.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is more common than most people realize and is often misdiagnosed. This occurs when the parathyroid glands secrete too much PTH, causing elevated blood calcium levels.

While it can happen at any age, the risk increases as you get older, and it is most common in postmenopausal women. Unfortunately, because of that, it often flies under the radar, with the symptoms mistakenly being attributed to menopause.

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Deva Boone, one of the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the U.S. She was the Medical Director and Senior Surgeon at the Norman Parathyroid Center until 2020, when she left to open the Southwest Parathyroid Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

In this conversation, Dr. Deva and I discuss how the parathyroid glands regulate calcium levels in your bloodstream, the role of calcium in the body, the prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism, the importance of vitamin D in calcium metabolism, challenges of diagnosing parathyroid issues, the necessity of experienced surgeons for parathyroid surgery, and more. Enjoy the episode!





To learn more, visit the show notes at https://savemythyroid.com/podcast/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-parathyroid-glands-with-dr-deva-boone-133/.

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Parathyroid adenomas are a common medical condition that results from the abnormal growth of one or more parathyroid glands. Patients with this condition may suffer from symptoms like high parathyroid hormone levels, high calcium levels, osteoporosis, and even kidney stones. While surgery is the traditional treatment for parathyroid adenomas, it can be difficult and traumatic for the patient, especially when the adenomas are located deep in the neck. In recent years, ablation therapy has emerged as an alternative to surgery for treating parathyroid adenomas.

To learn more about ablation therapy for parathyroid adenomas, we interviewed Dr. Bülent Çekiç, an interventional radiologist from Turkey who has treated over 4,000 cases of thyroid ablation. Dr. Çekiç is well known for not only treating patients but also training other doctors in ablation therapy. According to Dr. Çekiç, parathyroid ablation can be a quick, comfortable, and fast resolution with no surgery.

During the interview, Dr. Çekiç explained that parathyroid adenomas can be fixed through ablation. He emphasized that the most crucial aspect of the procedure is a very good thyroid section before ablation. After a thorough examination of the patient's condition, including laboratory tests and parathyroid scintigraphy, Dr. Çekiç and his team can perform ablation therapy, which typically takes only between 10 and 15 minutes. The procedure time is minimal, and patients can return to normal life in maximum one hour. Moreover, after only one day, the patient's parathormone levels return to normal. Dr. Çekiç also highlighted that parathyroid ablation is very close to the regular laryngeal nerve, which is why a good thyroid section is vital before ablation.

Dr. Çekiç also noted that parathyroid adenomas are mostly small, with a size of between 1 and 2 centimeters, and their stiffness is low. He explained that the ablation time is maximum one or two minutes, and the pilot trade adenoma ablation time is between three and four minutes. He added that only after 20 or 30 minutes, the patients can be discharged.

In conclusion, ablation therapy is a promising alternative to surgery for treating parathyroid adenomas. According to Dr. Çekiç, it is effective, comfortable, and fast, with a quick recovery time. Patients can return to normal life in maximum one hour, and their parathormone levels return to normal after only one day. Dr. Çekiç's extensive experience in thyroid ablation makes him an excellent resource for patients and doctors alike. If you're looking for an ablation doctor, you can visit rfamd.com, the premier global directory of ablation doctors.

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The Doctor Thyroid and RFAMD podcast with Philip James is listened to in 100+ countries. It is a preferred patient resource for information related to thyroid cancer, RFA, hypothyroidism, pathology, and radiation therapy.

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About Dr. Bülent Çekiç

Dr. Bülent Çekiç is a leading expert in thyroid thermal ablation, specifically microwave and radiofrequency ablation. He has treated over 3500 cases using these methods since 2013, and has published 8 articles on the topic in Pubmed.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Çekiç has also organized 14 workshops on thyroid thermal ablation in his own clinic and 7 workshops in various countries. These workshops have been attended by a total of 40 local and 70 international doctors.

Dr. Çekiç has also presented on thyroid thermal ablation at international interventional radiology congresses such as CCMA, CIRSE, TRD, TGRD, and PAIRS. 

In recent years, he has also begun offering thyroid artery embolization as a non-surgical treatment option for Plonjuan goiter and diffuse goiter, and has treated nearly 70 cases using this method.

Dr. Bulent Cekic is currently working as a chief at the Antalya Research and Training Hospital. He has received his MD from Ataturk University. He specialized in Interventional Radiology.

Language Spoken: Turkish, German, English

View Full Profile:Dr. Bülent Çekiç

 

About Philip James

He is the host of the popular podcast: Doctor Thyroid
www.docthyroid.com

In 2013, his laryngeal nerve was severed, shoulder nerve damaged, parathyroids ruined, and residual cancer left behind — all for a 1 cm thyroid nodule.
Later, a vocal cord implant was inserted to help him speak.

100+ episodes later, the Doctor Thyroid podcast is popular amongst patients; allowing them to access information from top doctors, without being limited by geography or economics.

The word he uses to describe his work as patient advocate is, ‘tonglen’. Or, using his pain and hardship to help others.

The Doctor Thyroid podcast is available in Spanish and English – and listened to in over 30 countries:

www.doctiroides.com (Spanish)

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Please email your requests to philip@philipjames.co

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Deva Boone, MD has dedicated her career to the understanding and treatment of parathyroid disease, combining compassion, knowledge, and experience to provide world-class care to all patients.

After obtaining her MD at Cornell Medical College, Dr. Boone completed a general surgery residency in New York City and endocrine surgery fellowship in Chicago, IL. She then subspecialized in parathyroid surgery. She joined the Norman Parathyroid Center in 2014, where she performed over 3,600 parathyroid operations and consulted with thousands more patients with suspected calcium and parathyroid abnormalities. In 2020 she left to open the Southwest Parathyroid Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Very few surgeons worldwide have treated more parathyroid patients than Dr. Boone.

She is a frequent speaker on parathyroid disease and enjoys teaching both patients and other physicians about calcium, Vitamin D, and the parathyroids. In this episode, she shares how important the parathyroid glands are when it comes to our bones, and then she tells us how to interpret our blood work so we do not miss a parathyroid tumor that can be a root cause of osteoporosis. This talk is filled with life-changing information.

Links:

• Website | https://southwestparathyroid.com
• Free Parathyroid Disease Analysis Tool | https://www.southwestparathyroid.com/app

 

Timestamps

[05:32] Blood Work and Blood Calcium Levels

[10:37] Exact Numbers of Calcium and Why It’s Important

[20:18] The Issue of Low Calcium Levels

[27:17] The Free Parathyroid Disease Analysis Tool and How it Works

[36:20] Parathyroid Surgeons Versus Other Surgeons

[44:18] Dr. Deva Boone’s Perspective on Vitamin D

[50:28] How Low is Vitamin D when it’s a Parathyroid Issue?

DISCLAIMER – The information presented on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice. It is not intended to replace consultation with your physician or healthcare provider. The ideas shared on this podcast are the expressed opinions of the guests and do not always reflect those of Margie Bissinger and Happy Bones, Happy Life Podcast.

You have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and choose no surgery.  Although thyroid cancer diagnosis has spiked around the world, a trend is to pass on surgery if the cancer is identified as low risk.  In doing so, mortality rate does not increase and it avoids unfavorable events sometimes related to surgery, such as vocal chord paralysis, hypothyroidsm, financial costs, and lifelong thyroid hormone treatment. 

In this episode, we visit with Dr. hypothyroidism, a pioneer in prescribing active surveillance in place of immediate surgery.    

Dr. Miyauchi is President and COO of Kuma Hospital, Center for Excellence in Thyroid Care, Kobe, Japan. He is an endocrine surgeon, especially interested in thyroid and parathyroid diseases. He earned his MD and PhD at Osaka University Medical School in 1970 and 1978, respectively. He was Associate Professor of Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical University until he was appointed to Vice President of Kuma Hospital in 1998. Since 2001, he is at his present position. About 2,000 operations, including about 1,300 thyroid cancer cases, are done every year at Kuma Hospital. He is currently serving as Chairman of the Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons. He also served as Council of the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons until August 2015.

Topics covered, include:

• Incidence versus mortality
• Worldwide trends related to thyroid cancer
• Papillary Microcarcinoma of the Thyroid (PMCT)
• Unfavorable events following immediate surgery
• Results of research which began in 1993
• The current trend in the incidence of thyroid cancer is expected to create an added cost of $3.5 billion by 2030, to the individual and as a society.

NOTES

Akira Miyauchi, MD, PhD (Kuma Hospital)

Join Yvonne Brandenburg, RVT, VTS SAIM and Jordan Porter RVT, LVT, VTS SAIM as we talk about:

• Elevated calcium levels within our patient’s bodies. How does this happen? What does calcium do in the body? What regulates blood calcium levels? We discuss it all!

 

Question of the Week

• Have you seen more primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism cases?

 

 Resources We Mentioned in the Show 

•  Linda Merrill, (2012). Small Animal Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses. Ames: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Colville, T., Bassert, J. (2016). Clinical Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Technicians. St. Louis: Mosby, Inc.
• DVM360: Parathyroid disease in Dogs and Cats:
• • https://www.dvm360.com/view/parathyroid-diseases-dogs-and-cats-proceedings
• Kidney.org: Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
• • https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/secondary-hyperparathyroidism
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Endocrine system, parathyroid gland. 
• • https://www.merckvetmanual.com/endocrine-system/the-parathyroid-glands-and-disorders-of-calcium-metabolism/hypercalcemia-in-dogs-and-cats#v3271170
• Michigan State University Endocrinology Form: 
• • https://cvm.msu.edu/assets/documents/VDL/Submittal-Endocrinology-Fillable.pdf
• VIN: Hypercalcemia in canines: 
• • https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952098
• AHA Journals: Handling Calcium Levels:
• • https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circep.107.754788

 

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Thanks for listening! 

– Yvonne and Jordan 

Even if your health has suffered for years, you can start fixing it now, and keep it fixed for good.  Here's how.

 

 

Author: John Winkler, M.D. 

Educational Pearls

• Normally, the parathyroid is the master regulator of serum Ca levels. It secretes PTH, which stimulates calcium uptake from the bone and gut.
• Causes of hypercalcemia include: parathyroid tumor, lytic bone lesions (multiple myeloma), breast cancer, renal injury, and some lung cancers.
• Hypercalcemia can lead to poor bone quality and pathological fractures. It can also cause heart arrhythmias.
• It is important to order an ionized calcium to quantify the level of hypercalcemia, since calcium binds to albumin.
• Treatment for hypercalcemia includes fluids and loop diuretics.

References:  https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/766373-treatment

Dr. Babak Larian is a highly experienced, board certified Ear, Nose, & Throat Specialist and Head & Neck surgeon. Dr. Larian is the current Clinical Chief of the Division of Otolaryngology at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.  Dr. Larian's Center For Head and Neck Surgery is located in Beverly Hills, California.

In this episode, Dr. Larian discusses his experience treating thyroid disorders, including his medical missions to Central America.  During this interview, you will hear greater detail about the following topics:

• The most recent American Thyroid Association’s guidelines and updates to treating thyroid cancer compared to past approaches
• Minimally invasive thyroid surgery, which results in less scarring and less discomfort
• Breaking away from the old tradition of a large incision 
• Testing for parathyroid imbalance
• What might it mean when the patient feels anxious, has to urinate during the night, impaired mental function, and calcium imbalance? 
• Which blood test reveals possible parathyroid issues?
• The common denominator in patients who recover post thyroid cancer surgery
• A parathyroid trend in women 40 - 60 years old
• The importance of staying in tune with your body and its signals

NOTES:

Dr. Babak Larian

http://www.larianmd.com/

P: 310.461.0300

American Thyroid Association Guidelines

http://www.thyroid.org/professionals/ata-professional-guidelines/

In this episode, we welcome Mr. Reggie Hayes, better known as William Dent, from the hit sitcom Girlfriends. Let's Talk About It radio show LIVE Sundays 6 pm PT, 9pm ET on UBNradio.com

This is the second in a series of ongoing monthly interviews with Dr. Cannell.

In this interview with John J. Cannell, M.D., Executive Director of Vitamin D Council, Dr. Cannell discusses the latest vitamin D news:

• The US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations regarding low-dose vitamin D for healthy, post-menopausal women to prevent fractures
• The health benefits of potassium
• The relationship between parathyroid hormone, vitamin D levels, and (calcium oxalate) kidney stones
• The impact of vitamin D on postural stability (aka athletic performance), and preventing falls
• Vitamin D as it relates to pain, sleep, and quality of life
• The difference between Vitamin D-2 and Vitamin D-3

Additional information on Vitamin D can be found at www.vitamindcouncil.org.