There are three main types of parathyroidectomy. The first type is minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. Before this surgery, a shot of a very small amount of radioactive tracer will be given. This highlights the diseased glands. Your surgeon will then use a special probe, such as a Geiger counter, to locate the parathyroid gland. A small cut of 1-2 inches or 2.5-5 cm will be made on one side of your neck, and the diseased gland will be removed through it. This procedure takes about 1 hour. The second is video-assisted parathyroidectomy. Two small cuts will be made in your neck for the instruments and a camera. The camera will be used to view the area, and the diseased glands will be removed. The third type is endoscopic parathyroidectomy. Two or three small cuts will be made in the front of your neck and another will be made at the top of your collarbone. This will reduce scarring and pain and shorten the recovery time. The cuts will be less than 2 inches or 5 cm. The diseased parathyroid glands are removed in the same way as that in video-assisted parathyroidectomy.