Minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy: Postoperative patient satisfaction survey

Introduction: Minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) combines technetium Sestamibi scan, intraoperative gamma probe, methylene blue dye, and measurement of circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. While MIRP is a well-established approach to neck exploration for hyperparathyroidism, there is little published data about patient satisfaction following this type of surgery. Methods: All patients in this study underwent either unilateral MIRP or bilateral neck exploration for primary or recurrent hyperparathyroidism. Postoperative prospective patient satisfaction surveys were collected and analyzed with regards to preoperative education, surgical outcomes, extent of procedure, patient age and gender. Statistical analysis was performed to examine patient satisfaction trends for significance. Results: Thirty-four of 68 study patients completed the survey at the one-week follow-up appointment, 4/68 mailed in the survey, 10/68 were contacted by phone, with the remaining surveys either returned incomplete or not filled out. Among the 48 completed surveys, most patients (85% to 100%) were satisfied with both the operative and postoperative care aspects. Although patient dissatisfaction was higher among patients discharged on the same day and those hospitalized for less than 23 hours, 96% of respondents indicated that additional hospitalization would not change their responses to survey questions. Elderly patients and women tended to have increased proportion of unfavorable responses to the survey items. There were no differences in patient satisfaction with regards to the operating room environment, time in surgery, time in recovery room, or incision size. Conclusions: The survey used in this study appears to be an effective instrument in assessing the level of patient satisfaction with regards to the surgical efficacy of MIRP, perioperative and postoperative patient care, and quality of preoperative education. Cite as: Stawicki SP, Schill KM, Flynn MB. OPUS 12 Scientist 2007;1(2):3135. Correspondence to: S. P. Stawicki, MD. OPUS 12 Foundation, 304 Monroe Blvd, King or Prussia, PA, 19406 USA.