David Moore is living his best life, thanks to his dedicated team of specialists at WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare.
“Two years ago, my primary care physician had told me my calcium levels were elevated, I had a Vitamin D deficiency and needed supplements. At the time, I was experiencing what seemed like chronic fatigue syndrome: Lots of body aches, joint pain, brain fog and insomnia. It was hard to function and was interfering with my quality of life,” Moore recalled.
Following Moore’s routine colonoscopy, BJC Medical Group gastroenterologist Ahmad Karadaghy, MD, saw the elevated calcium and ordered more testing. “Through that process, we found I had polyps with a potential marker for cancer, which runs in my family. He sent that off for testing, and it came back with a significant elevation in calcium.”
Karadaghy referred him to BJC Medical Group endocrinologist Supraja Reddy, MD, who ran additional testing and discovered Moore’s calcium levels were elevated three times the standard level in 24 hours. “Dr. Reddy suspected it was my parathyroid glands overproducing the calcium,” Moore said.
The parathyroid glands are four small endocrine glands located on the back of the thyroid gland. Each gland is approximately the size of a grain of rice and is responsible for regulating the amount of calcium in the blood. Reddy referred Moore to WashU Medicine otolaryngologist R. Alex Harbison, MD, MS, who specializes in head and neck surgery as well as scarless surgeries.
“Dr. Harbison ran a four-dimensional CT scan to look for parathyroid adenomas and explained that one of my parathyroid glands was double the size it should be. He said that there are health and quality of life benefits to surgically treating the hyperparathyroidism. During surgery, they would test my calcium level to confirm that just one gland needed to be removed,” Moore shared. “He also explained that the endoscopic surgery procedure would go through my bottom lip and leave no scar. The recovery rate would be faster since it’s minimally invasive. Dr. Harbison was upfront that it is typical to have numbness at the incision site around the chin area that may last up to six months or more. In rare cases, it’s permanent.”
At the time of his surgery in December 2024, Moore was preparing to retire. He was working from home but still traveling for work. “I look pretty rough in my day-after-surgery picture. They wrap up your head!” Moore laughed. “Recovery went really well. The swelling went down within two weeks, and I managed the pain with just over-the-counter pain relief.”
Surgery was on a Monday, and he went out of town the following Wednesday with colleagues. Moore quickly resumed his normal work schedule and had his retirement party as scheduled. “I didn’t even have to go back as the stitches dissolved. There is no wound care; I just rinsed my mouth with salt water. I was able to eat and drink anything soon after surgery as well.”
Moore felt the impact of the surgery almost immediately. “It was like night and day. My ‘chronic fatigue’ was gone: the aches and pains, brain fog, all of it. It has affected my life profoundly. I give so much credit to my gastroenterologist and endocrinologist, who would not let go of the calcium deficiency and led me to Dr. Harbison and his team.”
In February 2025, just a month and a half after surgery, Moore, his wife, Melaine, and poodles T-Bone and Winnie, embarked on an R.V. adventure to the southern states to visit family and friends.
His six-month follow-up appointment with Dr. Harbison went well, with Moore experiencing only slight numbness in his chin. Today, it is barely noticeable. He struggles to find any trace of a scar inside his mouth. Moore is proud to report that his calcium panels are now “perfect,” and he no longer takes Vitamin D supplements.
“I would recommend the endoscopic parathyroid surgery to anyone who has this condition. It changed my life for the better,” Moore said.
To make an appointment with a WashU Medicine otolaryngologist, please call 314-362-7509 or schedule online.