Prophylaxis
In principle, the parathyroid glands should not be damaged or removed in any thyroid surgery. If this is not possible, there is the possibility of autotransplantation. In this case the patient’s own parathyroid glands can be planted into muscle tissue.
These grow into these areas and continue to produce parathyroid hormone. This option is also used in cases where there is a risk of radiation damage in thyroid carcinomas. In this case, the parathyroid glands are moved prophylactically to a different location in the body before the start of radiation in order to protect them.
Prognosis
If the hormone deficiency is detected at an early stage, the parathyroid hypofunction can be well treated by lifelong hormone substitution. However, it is not possible to cure the long-term damage such as cataract or calcification in the brain. The same applies to the consequences in children whose hormone deficiency has not been detected early. Accordingly, the prognosis depends strongly on the time of diagnosis and therapy.
