ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Chirurgica 2012 October;67(5):433-8

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism following thyroidectomy

Mehrabi Bahar M., Jangjoo A., Afzal Aghaei M., Ebrahimzadeh M., Aliakbarian M. ✉

Surgical Oncology Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

AIM: This study was designed to identify the risk factors of transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. We also studied the duration of transient hypoparathyroidism following thyroid surgery.
METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 163 consecutive patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Serum Levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were determined the day before surgery and then on the 1st and 10th postoperative day to determine the postoperative course of serum PTH and calcium. Patients were followed for six months after surgery.
RESULTS: The incidence of transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism was 8.6% and 0%, respectively. Among all of variables, only the extent of surgery had a significant relationship with postoperative hypoparathyroidism (P=0.010). PTH measurement at 10th day postoperatively became normal, except in one patient in whom it continued to be low until two months.
CONCLUSION: The extent of surgery is the leading cause of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, though, in most of the patients this is a transient complication and PTH level revert to normal within 10 days after surgery.