Does the Use of Probe-based Near-infrared Autofluorescence Parathyroid Detection Benefit Parathyroidectomy? A Randomized Single-center Clinical Trial

Objective: To evaluate the benefits of probe-based near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) parathyroid identification during parathyroidectomy.Background: Intraoperative parathyroid gland identification during parathyroidectomy can be challenging, while additionally requiring costly frozen sections. Earlier studies have established NIRAF detection as a reliable intraoperative adjunct for parathyroid identification.Methods: Patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism were prospectively enrolled by a senior surgeon (>20 years experience) and a junior surgeon (<5 years experience), while being randomly allocated to the probe-based NIRAF or control group. Data collected included procedure type, number of parathyroids identified with high confidence by the surgeon and the resident, number of frozen sections performed, parathyroidectomy duration, and number of patients with persistent disease at the first postoperative visit.Results: One hundred sixty patients were randomly enrolled under both surgeons to the probe group (n=80) versus control (n=80). In the probe group, parathyroid identification rate of the senior surgeon improved significantly from 3.2 to 3.6 parathyroids per patient (P<0.001), while that of the junior surgeon also rose significantly from 2.2 to 2.5 parathyroids per patient (P=0.001). Parathyroid identification was even more prominent for residents increasing significantly from 0.9 to 2.9 parathyroids per patient (P<0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in frozen sections utilized in the probe group versus control (17 vs 47, P=0.005).Conclusion: Probe-based NIRAF detection can be a valuable intraoperative adjunct and educational tool for improving confidence in parathyroid gland identification, while potentially reducing the number of frozen sections required.