Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is one of the commonest complications in chronic kidney patients undergoing dialysis. It is involved in skeletal metabolism, cardiovascular and soft-tissue calcification in patients with dialysis. It creates a compounded problem and greatly reduces the quality of life as well as increases the mortality rate of people with chronic kidney disease (1) There are many factors affecting calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) metabolism in maintenance of peritoneal dialysis patients, including diet, residual renal function, peritoneal transport properties, calcium concentration in dialysate and application of phosphorus binders (17). The role of parathyroid hormone involves absorption of calcium from the gut, demineralization of the bones and other connective tissues and absorption and reabsorption of minerals in the kidney during excretion. Secondary hyperparathyroidism develops from the distortions in the regulation of calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone and vitamin D (19).
Parathyroid dysfunction associated with biochemical and bone disorders continues to cause much morbidity including cardiovascular diseases, bone pain and fractures in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. (8, 9, 10, 11, 12). Uncontrolled SHPT results in up to 20% of increased mortality (10, 11) and a four-fold increase in the incidence of bone fractures due to impaired bone quality in dialysis patients compared with non-dialysis patients (13, 14, 15). Many studies support a global trend in SHPT: 29.48% among continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients in Thailand (3), 60% in Argentina (5) and 47% in a review studies in Canada (4.) Early diagnosis and reasonable treatment (mainly drug therapy and parathyroidectomy plus forearm transplantation) are important methods to delay such complications. Many therapeutic strategies in the management of mineral bone disease in chronic kidney disease (CKD-MBD) patients target the control of SHPT including the use of calcimimetics, vitamin D sterols (18), phosphate binders and surgical procedures (6, 7). Pharmacological treatment of SHPT presents with high cost (16), many side effects, non-compliance and several reported cases of resistance to vitamin D analogs. Parathyroidectomy (PTX) is fast becoming the medical treatment of choice among chronic kidney disease patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism despite the contribution of pharmaceutical therapy. PTX brings relief and considerable improvement in the laboratory and clinical well-being of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. In a recent article by Eidman and Wetmore, even though parathyroidectomy may be beneficial as a remedy for secondary hyperparathyroidism, they cautioned that care must be taken to monitor clinical symptoms and laboratory values in these patients. Parathyroidectomy as a common method for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism following chronic kidney diseases, lacks enough clinical and laboratory evidence. This study therefore seeks to bring to bear the clinical, biochemical, haematological and physiological support for parathyroidectomy in people living with chronic kidney disease undergoing peritoneal dialysis.