Principles of parathyroid autotransplantation

The principle of parathyroid autotransplantation is to utilize the non-rejection property of autotransplantation to preserve the secretion function of parathyroid glands and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications such as low calcium. The advantage of autotransplantation is that the survival rate is very high. Generally speaking, the survival rate of parathyroid autotransplantation can reach more than 90%, and the parathyroid glands will resume their endocrine function after one month or so. Currently, transplantation is often performed in conjunction with total thyroidectomy, during which the surgeon examines the upper and lower parathyroid glands and their blood supply on both sides, and carefully inspects all the excised tissues to identify any incorrectly cut parathyroid glands. For parathyroid glands that have turned dark black due to the damage to their blood supply, and for parathyroid glands that are found to have been removed by mistake or are completely free, autotransplantation is performed immediately during the operation. Prior to transplantation, the surgeon carefully removes the tissue surrounding the parathyroid glands and separates them from fat or lymphatic tissue. The parathyroid glands sink when placed in saline, while the fat or lymphatic tissue floats to the surface. The most commonly used method of immediate parathyroid autotransplantation is to place the resected parathyroid glands in 1 to 2 ml of saline, repeatedly cut them with tissue shears to make a cell suspension, and then inject them into the sternocleidomastoid muscle after extraction with a syringe. It is recommended that patients go to regular hospitals for surgery, so as not to delay the condition and cause serious consequences.