The number of elderly patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has been increasing as a result of declining birth rate and aging population in Japan. The safety and effectiveness of surgical treatment in old people with PHPT are still contentious.

We retrospectively investigated the characteristics and postoperative course in 55 patients over 70 years of age who underwent parathyroidectomy (PTX) for PHPT at our institution from February 1988 to May 2015.

Forty-four of the 55 patients had comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and so on. In all the cases, PTX was successfully performed and the serum levels of parathyroid hormone and calcium lowered. Neuropsychiatric symptoms also improved in 14 patients after PTX. Except two cases, no severe complication occurred after PTX: one developed aspiration pneumonitis and one needed hemodialysis for acute exacerbation in chronic kidney disease.

Active and appropriate application of PTX might contribute to improvements in the activities of daily living and quality of life in elderly patients with PHPT.