Don General Surgeons get trained to perform parathyroid surgery during their residency training?
Yes, and no. The American Board of Surgery is the group that monitors surgery residencies and certifies surgeons to perform surgery. Between the years 1990 and 2000, the average number of parathyroid operations performed by surgeons upon completion of their residency was 2. In other words, the typical surgeon has performed only 2 parathyroid operations total when they become ‘board certified’ in general surgery. However, once a surgeon is board certified they are allowed to do any operation they want–even if its an operation they have never done before in their life. Parathyroid disease is uncommon, and about 1/4 of all surgery residents (surgeons in training) graduate and become board certified having done ZERO parathyroid operations. As you have read in other areas of this web site, the most variable anatomy in the entire human body is the anatomy of the parathyroid glands. This explains the often poor results seen with parathyroid surgery, and the reluctance of endocrinologists to
