Patients with hyperparathyroidism of renal failure fall into two categories: those with hypocalcemia and those with hypercalcemia. If medical management fails and operative indications are present--bone pain or fracture, metastatic calcification, progressive hypercalcemia or uncontrolled pruritus--parathyroid exploration should be done. Total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation is the procedure of choice when hypocalcemia is present and more than one gland (usually all) is enlarged (which is the case in most patients). Parathyroid adenomectomy is the procedure of choice where autonomy of parathyroid function is established or a single gland is enlarged and all others are small; hypercalcemia is present in these patients. In other instances of hypercalcemia associated with advanced renal disease, total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation should be performed; that is, in patients in whom more than one gland is enlarged or irregular or in whom all glands are not identified. Continued follow-up is necessary to confirm this rationale of therapy.