Can I have surgery with a negative scan? I was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism last year, but no one can seem to find a parathyroid tumor. I have had two sestamibi scans, a CT, and ultrasound but they were all negative. My surgeon says he will not operate until something is seen on the scan. I am having bad bone pain and want to get this done. How can we find this parathyroid?
Imaging studies should not be used to determine when to operate. We diagnose parathyroid disease with labs, not with imaging, so we know that you have at least one diseased parathyroid gland. If the diagnosis is clear, then there is no reason to wait to have surgery, as long as you have an experienced surgeon who can evaluate all four parathyroid glands. If you have a surgeon who wants to see t...
