Article Clinical Outcomes after Parathyroidectomy in a Nationwide Cohort of Patients on Hemodialysis

Background and objectives Patients receiving dialysis undergo parathyroidectomy to improve laboratory parameters in resistant hyperparathyroidism with the assumption that clinical outcomes will also improve. However, no randomized clinical trial data demonstrate the benefits of parathyroidectomy. This study aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes up to 1 year after parathyroidectomy in a nationwide sample of patients receiving hemodialysis. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Using data from the US Renal Data System, this study identified prevalent hemodialysis patients aged $18 years with Medicare as primary payers who underwent parathy-roidectomy from 2007 to 2009. Baseline characteristics and comorbid conditions were assessed in the year preceding parathyroidectomy; clinical events were identified in the year preceding and the year after parathyroidectomy. After parathyroidectomy, patients were censored at death, loss of Medicare coverage, kidney transplant, change in dialysis modality, or 365 days. This study estimated cause-specific event rates for both periods and rate ratios comparing event rates in the postparathyroidectomy versus preparathyroidectomy periods. Results Of 4435 patients who underwent parathyroidectomy, 2.0 % died during the parathyroidectom