ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Chirurgia 2015 December;28(6):217-20

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Risk factors for postoperative hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy

Özkardeş A. B. ¹, Kahramanca Ş. ², Özgehan G. ¹, İrem B. ¹, Küçükpinar T. ¹, Kargici H. ¹

¹ Clinic of General Surgery, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey; ² Clinic of General Surgery, Kars State Hospital, Kars, Turkey

AIM: We aimed to determine the prevalence and and risk factors for postoperative hypocalcemia in patients who underwent thyroidectomy.
METHODS: A total of 271 patients (mean age, 46.21±12.50 years; female/male ratio, 229/42) who underwent thyroidectomy were divided retrospectively into two groups according to whether or not they developed hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy.
RESULTS: Of the 271 patients, 74 (27.3%) have developed hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy. The fine-needle aspiration biopsy, preoperative thyroiditis, malignancy, and accompanying neck dissection surgery were more common among patients with postoperative hypocalcemia (P<0.05 for all). In multivariate analysis, thyroiditis was not a significant predictor for postoperative hypocalcemia (P=0.228). The weight of the excised thyroid gland was significantly higher in patients with postoperative hypocalcemia (P=0.005).
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the patients undergoing thyroidectomy have a high risk of developing postoperative hypocalcemia. The fine-needle aspiration biopsy, malignancy, neck dissection surgery and increased weight of the excised thyroid gland are risk factors for hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy.