This app is not a parathyroid diagnostic app. If you want our award-winning app that helps you and your doctor diagnose your parathyroid problem, you need the Calcium Pro app. The Parahyroid Surgery Guide app is for people who know they have a parathyroid problem and are getting ready to have parathyroid surgery.

Parathyroid Surgery Guide Mobile App.
Everything you need to know about your upcoming parathyroid operation!

Parathyroid Surgery Guide

The Parathyroid Surgery Guide mobile app guides patients through every step of their parathyroid operation. From the basics on what to wear and what to bring to the hospital, to when you can exercise and go back to work. Contains advice on vitamin D, calcium, and osteoporosis medications after surgery among dozens of other topics. Potential surgery problems are covered so you understand what is normal and what is not. Made by the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world; with over 33,000 parathyroid operations performed, these doctors have seen every possible situation and have put that knowledge into an easy to use guide.

This app will guide you through every part of your visit to the the world-famous Norman Parathyroid Center at the new Hospital for Endocrine Surgery and will help make this the best medical experience of your life. If you are our patient, the app is customized for you if you sign in. If you are coming with family or a friend, the app will help you understand what is going on. If you are just another parathyroid patient out there, GREAT! We welcome you too! There is great information for all parathyroid patients here. The app is divided into 6 color-coded segments based around the timing of your operation.

  • Before Your Operation. The first section is color-coded green. Read this material about 2 weeks prior to coming to Tampa for your parathyroid operation. This section will help you plan your trip, how long to stay, and even book a hotel in one of our partner hotels. This section also instructs you to buy your calcium that you need to bring with you. Finally, we want you to read your post-op instructions before you get here. It will tell you how long to be in Tampa, when to drive, what to eat, etc.

  • Day of Surgery. The second section is about the day of surgery and it is color coded yellow. This will tell you where to go and what time to be there. We describe your room, the scans, your nurses, meeting anesthesia, and what to bring with you to the hospital. You can read the impressive bios of the three surgeons operating on your day. Make sure your family has a copy of this app because this section will help them understand all that is happening.

  • After Your Operation. After Your Operation The third section is blue and it has everything you need to know about your post-op care. Of course calcium is discussed, but dozens of other items are discussed that will allow you to know what to expect, and what to do.

  • Frequently Asked Questions FAQ. The FAQ section is orange and is a compilation of dozens of questions that our patients ask. It is very likely that any question you have is answered here. Also note that this app has a “search” function so you can find anything easily.
  • About Our Center. The purple section tells the history of the Norman Parathyroid Center and has the bios of all seven of our world-leading surgeons. The legal information and Terms of Use / Disclaimer / Privacy policy is also found here. The app doesn't store any of your personal information.
  • How Did We Do? The last section is very important to us! This section doesn’t work until the day of surgery but please use it then. This is your opportunity to help us spread the word. It is an opportunity to share your experience with us and leave feedback on important websites that people use to find doctors and learn about parathyroid surgery. This is your opportunity to help us teach about hyperparathyroidism and the need to get it fixed!
  • Video Testimonial Maker.

    Now you can help teach! We put a tool in the Parathyroid Surgery Guide App that will help you make a short video of your choice. We give a bunch of parathyroid topic choices and suggestions, but then it's up to you! The app will let you edit the video, or start all over. When you are done, it uploads it to our site where we will display it on a new page of this website (parathyroid.com). Imagine how empowered you would have been if you could have seen other people tell about their experience getting their parathyroid problem diagnosed and fixed, or how it has completely changed their life once it was fixed!

    Notifications from the app to help you

    The Parathyroid Surgery Guide will send you notifications and reminders (like what time to arrive at the hospital). There are a total of 5 reminders so we won’t be bothering you all the time. Make sure to set your phone to allow notifications from this app.


    Think you have a parathyroid problem? Get the Calcium-Pro app

    The CalciumPro Diagnosis Assistant App.

    The CalcuimPro app is a DIFFERENT APP. CalciumPro helps you and your doctor diagnose hyperparathyroidism and graphs your calcium, parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, and even your osteoporosis. The app compares your blood tests to 20,000 other people with a parathyroid tumor and can help predict what your best course of action could be. This app has been a 5-star rated app since its release in 2013.


    Disclaimer and Legal

    The Norman Parathyroid Center (NPC) is the leading provider of health information and services for parathyroid disorders worldwide. The online educational information and decision support applications we provide help consumers take an active role in managing their health by providing objective, peer-reviewed information on parathyroid function and disease. Our surgical center in Tampa, Florida is dedicated to parathyroid surgery exclusively and boasts the 7 most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world with the highest cure rates possible via our exclusive 2-surgeon, 4-gland examination. Currently performing over 3700 parathyroid operations annually, our patients come from all 50 states and around the world.

    This notice applies to all content within this website (parathyroid.com) and all mobile applications produced by the Norman Parathyroid Center and Calcium Science, LLC, including the Calcium Pro App, Vitamin D Pro App, and the Parathyroid Surgery Guide App (collectively, the "apps"). These apps were produced using the collective expertise and unparalleled experience gained from consulting with more parathyroid patients than the top 20 US universities combined annually. Each of our seven expert surgeons have contributed to the app’s content. The underlying software behind this app has been developed from the data contained within more than 350 scientific publications by the physicians at the NPC many of which are footnoted within the app or within the supporting website www.parathyroid.com. The information included within the app has been gathered from the experience of over 34,000 parathyroid operations on patients from 8 years to 105 years old.

    A primary goal of the apps is to provide patients with parathyroid and calcium problems, and those undergoing parathyroid surgery, helpful information about what to expect. Primarily, the Parathyroid Surgery Guide app is designed to help patients having surgery at the Norman Parathyroid Center, and their family, with peace of mind as they travel to Tampa and back home again after their operation. This app is an educational tool. It is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor and is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis or recommend treatment; rather it is intended to help you understand your personal situation so that you can better communicate with your doctors.

    This apps aim to help patients (and doctors) better understand parathyroid disease, what it is doing to your body, the long-term effects this disease has on you, and how things are expected to proceed once the disease has been addressed. The app will help you understand what your parathyroid operation will likely entail, and what you are likely to expect before, during, and after the operation. The apps are not intended to replace time spent with physicians and nurses who will be taking care of you. The Surgery Guide app is a supplement to the personalized care you will receive when having surgery at the NPC. The Calcium Pro app is a tool for you to use with your doctor to help with the diagnosis and workup of parathyroid problems, including high blood calcium. None of our apps are diagnostic apps, rather they are educational tools for you and your doctor.

    The results of the tools and content within this website and within these apps are not actionable and are not intended to provide a medical diagnosis or recommend treatment. Rather the information and photos are intended to provide you an idea of what is typical and routine, what can be expected, and what sorts of things you may need to be concerned about. If there is any question, you must error on the side of safety and call to speak to a nurse at the NPC, or with one of your surgeons. If you have surgery with us, you will be provided the cell phone numbers of all 7 surgeons, and you can call the NPC office to speak to a nurse during the hours of 9:00 am to 4:00 pm EST at 813-972-0000. You should not decide to avoid a doctor’s visit based upon the use of these apps, or the contents included in the apps, nor should you avoid calling the NPC office, its nurses, or surgeons should you have any questions. Any medical decisions should be made with the help of a physician or one of the NPC nurses. You should not avoid any tests that may be recommended by your doctor based upon the use of these apps. You should not take or avoid taking any drugs or vitamins based upon the use of these apps. All such decisions should be made with the assistance of your physician.

    You should not avoid asking for help because of the use of these apps. If you believe you need to speak to a nurse or doctor, then you should do so. The apps are not intended to take the place of a phone call to a doctor/nurse nor are they intended to take the place of an in-person visit with a physician or nurse should you think it is necessary. Use of any app should not keep you from seeking advice in an emergency room, with your doctors at home, or at the NPC.

    Calcium Pro, Vitamin D Pro, and Parathyroid Surgery Guide are not medical devices as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These apps do not make treatment recommendations other than providing information. These apps are not connected to any electronic medical record. These apps do not store any personal information about you except your first (or preferred) name if you are our patient (Parathyroid Surgery Giude app only). Guests use the apps completely anonymously. The apps do not know your birth date, insurance information, or any other identifiable information about you. The app does not store any medical information about any patient. The Calcium Pro app requires birth year to function properly.

    The apps are based on multiple credible information sources, including: published guidelines, evidence-based practice, peer-reviewed journal articles, and the extensive experience of the world’s most experienced parathyroid physicians at the Norman Parathyroid Center. Links are provided to more detailed information at www.parathyroid.com and directly to scientific journals.

    There is no advertising on any of the apps. Your personal information will not be collected and thus cannot be shared or sold. From time to time we may send you push notifications when you are using our app. If you do not want these notifications, you can manage your preference either through your device or app settings depending on your device type. Notifications may be used to personalized the app for your specific day of surgery, but may also be used at a later time to improve the app, conduct research and analysis, and display content based upon your test results. You can opt out of these notifications at any time.

    Having surgery at another institution will be different than what is outlined and discussed on the Parathyroid Surgery Guide app. There is useful information on this app for all patients undergoing parathyroid surgery worldwide. However it is important to understand that most surgeons do not perform parathyroid surgery the way the surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center (NPC) do, and therefor your surgeons will have many different ways of taking care of you before, during, and after your operation. For instance, the NPC surgeons will examine all four glands in almost all patients whereas most other surgeons do not do this, electing to examine only the gland that shows on a scan. We recognize this as a viable approach for surgeons without extensive experience (thousands of parathyroid operations), but we stopped performing parathyroid surgery this way in 2005 because as many as 22% of patients believed to be cured will require another operation within 10 years. Other surgeons typically rely on measurements of blood levels of PTH hormone during the operation to determine when to stop operating or to continue exploring the neck. The surgeons at NPC do not use this test, knowing that it causes many potential problems, will absolutely prolong the duration of the operation by more than double, results in the removal of normal parathyroid glands in most patients, and will result in at least 15% of patients requiring another parathyroid operation within 5 years.

    The discussions and information contained within this website, and all of our apps regarding the length of the operation, the cure rates, incisions size, type of anesthesia, length of stay in the hospital and your expected postoperative course are specific to patients being operated on at NPC. It is virtually guaranteed that these items will be different for you if you are being operated on by another surgeon. Thus, many of the expectations and information contained within this app will not apply to you. You should expect that your operation lasts at least twice as long. You should expect to be intubated (tube down into your trachea) for anesthesia whereas only approximately 5% of NPC patients are intubated. You should expect to be in the hospital for at least 4-5 hours or overnight whereas the content of this app describes that almost all NPC patients should expect to leave within 2 hours of surgery. Other surgeons typically make larger incisions and will use different bandages. Follow the advice of your surgeon with regards to the bandage and stitches.

    Other surgeons have other requirements Other surgeons have other requirements for their patients. You should always follow the advice of YOUR surgeon rather than the information within this app which was developed for patients of the NPC. If your surgeon has differing opinions or methods, you must always put your trust into your surgeon over the information within this app or anywhere online. Your surgeon will have different requirements for taking calcium after the operation. You MUST take the advice of your surgeon and not the approach discussed within this app. Look to your surgeon for advice on all these matters.


    Terms of Use

    By using the information and services within this website or within the CalciumPro app, Vitamin D Pro app, and the Parathyroid Surgery Guide app, and within their associated websites, you agree to Terms of Use and all applicable laws and regulations. These mobile apps are provided for informational and educational purposes only. The apps are not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. The apps are not intended to diagnose any potential postoperative condition or complication. Health care providers should exercise their own independent clinical judgment when using the mobile app in conjunction with patient care. While the Norman Parathyroid Center and its contributing editors have made considerable effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, the Center and all associated editors and contributors are not responsible for any errors, omissions, and/or outcomes resulting from the use of these apps or the information contained within, or within the parathyroid.com website or associated websites. You are encouraged to confirm the information contained herein with the originating sources and to discuss all medical aspects with your doctors. You must consult with your surgeon about your specific case--surgical care should be individualized at all times.

    Always seek the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider for any issues, questions, or concerns you may have about your health, surgery, or after surgery complications. Some information on this website and within the apps are written specifically for patients undergoing surgery at the Norman Parathyroid Center and therefore will be different for those having surgery at another institution. Some information may not apply to you if you are having surgery at another institution, and may be in conflict with advice or information given to you by your doctors. Always follow the advice of YOUR doctors over the information contained within any of our apps. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical care/assistance because of something you have read on the parathyroid.com website or from using the Parathyroid Surgery Guide or any of the apps associated with the Norman Parathyroid Center or Calcium Science, LLC.

    Copyright and intellectual property rights. Use of the material contained within parathyroid.com, or any of the apps associated with the Norman Parathyroid Center or Calcium Science, LLC, for any other purpose constitutes infringement of the copyright and intellectual property rights owned by the specific owners for the app. By using any of this material, you assume all risks of copyright infringement and related liability. This website and these apps and their content may not be reproduced or used for unauthorized purposes without prior written permission, which may be obtained by submitting a written request to: Norman Parathyroid Center, 5959 Webb Road, Tampa, FL 33615. Note this mobile app may contain links to copyrighted work (i.e., scientific publications) created under contract with government agencies, foundations, funding organizations and commercial companies, etc. The Norman Parathyroid Center has the right to change the terms of this policy at any time and without prior notice. Copyright:  Calcium Science, LLC remains the sole owner and copyright holder of the CalciumPro, Vitamin D Pro, and Parathyroid Surgery Guide apps. The apps and this website contain copyrighted material, trademarks and other information owned by Calcium Science, LLC and/or the Norman Parathyroid Center and are protected under the United States copyright and trademark laws (c). Users of the apps and website may download, print, reproduce, or use materials displayed within for noncommercial, educational, personal or research purposes only, provided that you do not alter the content or any trademark, logo, copyright, author's name or author's identity. The website and apps, their services and materials, including text, graphics, images, logos and links, programming code, and software, are provided on an "as is" basis, and the Center and its physicians makes no claims or warranties of any kind, whether express or implied with respect to any service or material. All rights reserved. Use of material within the app for commercial purposes represents an infringement of our copyright and intellectual property rights. By using any of this material, you assume all risks of copyright infringement and related liability. Indemnity:  By using this website, and any of our apps, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Norman Parathyroid Center, Calcuim Science, LLC, its administrators, faculty, staff, employees, agents and all associated contributors, authors and reviewers from any and all claims and damages relating to any charges or demands arising from your use of this website, the apps, the tools and widgets, and any concepts descrribed therein.