Concierge endocrine surgery · UK
Parathyroidectomy - one small gland, one lasting cure.
Primary hyperparathyroidism - high calcium from an overactive parathyroid gland - quietly causes kidney stones, thinning bones, fatigue and low mood, and surgery cures it over 95% of the time. We arrange the full pathway: proper biochemistry, modern localisation scans, and a high-volume endocrine surgeon, often through a 2–3cm incision as a day case.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A high-volume endocrine surgeon, always
Cure rates and nerve safety track directly with surgeon volume. We refer only to surgeons doing 50+ parathyroid cases a year - never an occasional thyroid list.
- 02
Localisation done properly, first
Ultrasound plus sestamibi or 4D-CT before anyone books a theatre. Good scans are what turn a neck exploration into a 30-minute focused operation.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation - including “your biochemistry does not need surgery yet” - is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What a private parathyroidectomy costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner endocrine units. Send your calcium and PTH results and we quote firm figures across two or three surgeons, with cover checked.
In short
Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy in our network: £7,000–£10,000, home same day or one night.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endocrine surgery consultation | £250–£400 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Neck ultrasound (specialist) | £200–£400 | 20–30 min | Report same day |
| Sestamibi (SPECT-CT) localisation scan | £800–£1,500 | 2–4 hours | Report in 48 h |
| 4D-CT parathyroid protocol | £600–£1,200 | 20 min | Report in 48 h |
| Minimally invasive (focused) parathyroidectomy | £7,000–£10,000 | 20–40 min | Day-case or 1 night |
| Bilateral four-gland exploration | £8,500–£12,500 | 60–120 min | 1–2 nights |
| Redo parathyroid surgery (previous neck surgery) | £10,000–£16,000 | 90–180 min | 1–2 nights |
Prices vary by hospital and surgeon, by whether intra-operative PTH monitoring is used, and above all by whether this is first-time focused surgery or a redo exploration after previous neck surgery - always the top of the range. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
Diagnosed on bloods, located on scans, cured by the right surgeon.
Hyperparathyroidism is missed for years, scanned in the wrong order, and too often operated on by occasional surgeons. We fix all three.
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Believe the calcium
A raised calcium with a normal PTH is not normal - it is the disease. We make sure borderline biochemistry gets a proper endocrine opinion, not another year of “repeat in six months”.
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Scans locate, they never diagnose
A negative sestamibi does not mean no disease. The diagnosis lives in the blood tests; imaging only chooses between a focused and a four-gland operation.
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Volume is the safety feature
Cure rates and nerve outcomes track surgeon volume more than any other factor. Fifty-plus cases a year is our floor, not our aspiration.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery - what happens, in order.
One team from first message through localisation, theatre, the calcium-watch fortnight and the six-month cure check.
Phase 1 · Before your surgery
Biochemistry, localisation, decision
Phase 2 · On the day
Theatre and recovery
Phase 3 · After
Calcium watch, histology, cure check
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. Your calcium and PTH results, symptoms, kidney stones or fracture history, previous neck surgery.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether the biochemistry truly says hyperparathyroidism, whether surgery is indicated, and which surgeon fits your case.
- 03
Before
Biochemistry completed
Vitamin D corrected, urine calcium checked to exclude the benign mimic FHH, kidney function and bone density measured.
- 04
Before
Localisation scans
Specialist neck ultrasound plus sestamibi SPECT-CT or 4D-CT. Concordant scans mean a focused operation; discordant scans mean planning a four-gland exploration.
- 05
On the day
Admission and surgery
Same-day admission, GA. Focused surgery 20–40 minutes through a 2–3cm incision; intra-operative PTH confirms the culprit gland is out before closing.
- 06
On the day
Recovery and discharge
Home the same evening or after one night. Calcium and vitamin D supplements started to cover the expected post-operative dip.
- 07
After
Calcium, histology and cure confirmed
Bloods at days 1–14 watch for low calcium; histology at 2 weeks; biochemical cure confirmed at 6 months and bone density rechecked at 1–2 years.
Typical end-to-end: 3–4 weeks from enquiry to surgery. Back to desk work: a few days. Cure confirmed: 6 months.
When it helps
When parathyroidectomy is the right step.
The presentations we see most, plus the one red flag that means same-day medical care rather than a surgical booking.
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High calcium found on a blood test
The commonest route in - an incidental raised calcium with a PTH that is high or “inappropriately normal”. That combination is hyperparathyroidism until proven otherwise.
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Kidney stones
Recurrent stones are classic hyperparathyroidism. Curing the gland stops the stone factory; every stone-former deserves a calcium and PTH check.
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Osteoporosis or fragility fracture
PTH strips calcium from bone, classically at the wrist and spine. Surgery is the one treatment that rebuilds density rather than just slowing loss.
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Fatigue, brain fog and low mood
“Moans and groans” - the neurocognitive symptoms patients most often notice improving after cure, sometimes within weeks.
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Thirst, urination and constipation
The everyday face of high calcium - often attributed to age or diabetes until someone checks the number.
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Young, or calcium climbing
Guidelines advise surgery for anyone under 50 and whenever calcium runs well above range - decades of exposure is the enemy.
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Renal and tertiary disease
Long-standing kidney disease can drive all four glands overactive - a different operation (subtotal or total excision) by the same specialist hands.
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Red flag: calcium crisis
Severe thirst, vomiting, confusion or drowsiness with very high calcium is a medical emergency - same-day hospital care, then surgery once stable.
Procedure options
Focused or four-gland - the scans decide.
What each option involves - and why the operation you need is determined by biochemistry and imaging before anyone reaches for a scalpel.
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Minimally invasive (focused) parathyroidectomy
The modern default when scans agree on a single adenoma - one 2–3cm incision, 20–40 minutes, day-case, cure rates over 95%.
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Intra-operative PTH monitoring
PTH has a four-minute half-life, so a blood test in theatre confirms the culprit gland is out before the wound is closed - the safety net of focused surgery.
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Bilateral four-gland exploration
The traditional operation, still the right one when scans disagree, when multi-gland disease is suspected, or in familial syndromes. All four glands inspected.
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Subtotal parathyroidectomy
For four-gland hyperplasia - three and a half glands removed, leaving a remnant to keep calcium normal. Standard in renal and familial disease.
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Redo parathyroid surgery
After a failed first operation the anatomy is scarred and the missing gland often ectopic - this is strictly high-volume-surgeon territory, with fresh localisation first.
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Localisation: ultrasound + sestamibi
The standard pairing. When both point at the same gland, focused surgery follows with confidence.
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Localisation: 4D-CT and choline PET
The problem-solvers - for negative or discordant first-line scans and before any redo surgery. Choline PET finds glands the others miss.
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Observation and cinacalcet
Mild, criteria-negative disease can be monitored; cinacalcet lowers calcium when surgery is not possible. Neither cures - the honest comparison is part of our advice.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of endocrine surgeons, we picked them.
Consultant endocrine surgeons and endocrinologists across London and the major UK cities. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every endocrine surgeon in our network.
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Endocrine surgeons performing 50+ parathyroidectomies a year with published cure rates
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Intra-operative PTH monitoring and recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring as standard
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4D-CT and choline PET access for difficult localisation and redo cases
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Endocrinology partnership on site for biochemistry, bone health and non-surgical options
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
Parathyroidectomy is among the safest and most curative operations in surgery - in the right hands. The honest conversation covers the voice, the calcium, and the small chance of a missed gland.
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A short GA, usually a day case
Focused surgery takes 20–40 minutes under general anaesthetic; most patients go home the same evening with a small dressing on the neck.
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Cure rates above 95%
With good localisation and an experienced surgeon, first-time surgery cures more than 95 in 100. That number falls sharply with low-volume operators - hence our selection criteria.
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Voice change
The recurrent laryngeal nerve runs millimetres from the glands. Temporary hoarseness affects a few percent; permanent change is under 1% with an experienced, nerve-monitored surgeon.
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Low calcium after surgery
A transient dip - tingling lips and fingertips - is common as the suppressed glands wake up, and settles with supplements. Permanent hypoparathyroidism is rare after focused surgery.
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Hungry bone syndrome
After years of bone loss, the skeleton can soak up calcium rapidly post-cure - profound dips needing high-dose supplements, mostly in severe or renal disease. We watch for it.
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Bleeding and infection
Neck haematoma needing return to theatre affects well under 1%; wound infection is similarly rare. The scar typically fades to a faint line in a skin crease.
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Persistent or recurrent disease
A missed or second overactive gland leaves calcium high in under 5% of first operations. Choline PET plus a redo by a specialist resolves most of these.
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What improves - and when
Stone risk falls immediately; bone density rebuilds over 1–2 years; fatigue and mood lift within weeks to months for many, though not guaranteed for all.
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Red flags after surgery
A rapidly swelling neck, difficulty breathing, or severe tingling and muscle cramps need urgent same-day care - every patient leaves knowing exactly whom to call.
Reading your operation note
Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whether the operation was focused or a full exploration, the note the surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Parathyroid reports are all numbers - calcium, PTH, half-lives. We translate them for you.
If you would like us to talk you through your operation note, histology and calcium results before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Diagnosis, approach and glands addressed
Primary, renal or tertiary disease; focused or bilateral surgery; and exactly which gland - upper or lower, left or right - was removed.
- 02 Technique
Nerve monitoring and intra-operative PTH
Confirmation the recurrent laryngeal nerve was identified and monitored, and the PTH drop in theatre that predicted cure before closing.
- 03 Findings
Histology and gland weight
What the pathologist reported - adenoma, hyperplasia or (rarely) carcinoma - and the gland’s weight, which correlates with disease severity.
- 04 Impression
Calcium plan and cure confirmation
Read this first: your supplement doses, the blood-test schedule for the calcium watch, and when the six-month cure check is booked.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Parathyroidectomy for confirmed hyperparathyroidism is routinely covered by UK private medical insurance, including localisation scans and intra-operative monitoring. We confirm cover and secure authorisation before anything is booked.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about parathyroid surgery.
Quick answers on diagnosis, scans, the operation, the scar, calcium afterwards and cost.
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What do the parathyroid glands actually do?
Four glands the size of grains of rice sit behind the thyroid and control blood calcium through parathyroid hormone (PTH). In primary hyperparathyroidism - usually a single benign adenoma - one gland ignores the off-switch, calcium climbs, and bones, kidneys, energy and mood pay the price. Surgery removes the culprit and cures the condition.
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How is hyperparathyroidism diagnosed?
On blood tests, not scans: a raised (or high-normal) calcium alongside a PTH that has not switched off is the diagnosis. Vitamin D must be corrected and a urine test done to exclude FHH, a benign inherited mimic that must not be operated on. Scans come afterwards - their job is to locate the gland, never to make or exclude the diagnosis.
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What is minimally invasive parathyroidectomy?
When ultrasound and sestamibi or 4D-CT agree on a single adenoma, the surgeon removes just that gland through a 2–3cm incision in 20–40 minutes, usually as a day case. An intra-operative PTH blood test - the hormone has a four-minute half-life - confirms cure before the wound is closed. Cure rates exceed 95%.
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Will surgery affect my voice?
The recurrent laryngeal nerves, which move the vocal cords, run millimetres from the parathyroids. Temporary mild hoarseness affects a few percent of patients and almost always recovers; permanent voice change occurs in under 1% with a high-volume, nerve-monitored surgeon - which is the only kind we refer to.
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What happens to my calcium after the operation?
It falls - that is the cure working. A modest, temporary dip with tingling lips or fingertips is common in the first days as the remaining glands wake from suppression, and settles with the calcium and vitamin D supplements you go home with. We schedule blood tests through the first fortnight so nothing is left to guesswork.
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How much does private parathyroid surgery cost?
Roughly £7,000–£10,000 for a minimally invasive focused operation, £8,500–£12,500 for a four-gland exploration, and £10,000–£16,000 for redo surgery, plus £800–£1,500 for localisation imaging. Insured patients are routinely covered. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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Thyroidectomy
Thyroid surgery by the same specialist surgeons.
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Hypothyroidism
The other side of neck endocrinology.
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DEXA bone density scan
Measuring what high PTH has cost your bones.
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Kidney stone treatment
Managing the stones hyperparathyroidism causes.
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Blood tests
Calcium, PTH and vitamin D - where it all starts.
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All tests & procedures
Every test and procedure we arrange.
Learn more