Analysis of the factors that have an effect on hypocalcemia following thyroidectomy
Doğa Kalyoncu1, Doğan Gönüllü2, Mehmet Lari Gedik2, Muzaffer Er2, Erol Kuroğlu2, Ayşenur A. İğdem3, Ferda Nihat Koksoy2
1Department of General Surgery, Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital, Nicosia, Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic
2Department of General Surgery, Gaziosmanpaşa Taksim Teaching and Training Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
3Department of Pathology, Gaziosmanpaşa Taksim Teaching and Training Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
Abstract
Objective: The incidence of and risk factors for hypocalcemia following thyroidectomy were evaluated in this study.
Material and Methods: One hundred and ninety thyroidectomy patients were evaluated retrospectively for factors that might contribute to postoperative hypocalcemia; age, hyperthyroidism, malignancy, the extent of surgery (total/near total/subtotal thyroidectomy), cervical lymph node dissection, and incidental parathyroidectomy.
Results: The rate of transient hypocalcemia/hypoparathyroidism was 19.47%, with a permanent hypoparathyroidism rate of 4.74%. Factors affecting the development of transient hypocalcemia were found as being operated for hyperthy-roidism, and use of total thyroidectomy as the surgical method. Total thyroidectomy increased the risk of postoperative hypocalcemia by 3.16 fold. Patients undergoing operations for hyperthyroidism had a 2.3 fold increase, and those undergoing total thyroidectomy had a 3.16 fold risk of postoperative hypocalcemia.
Conclusion: Hyperthyroidism surgery and total thyroidectomy lead to a higher risk of developing early postoperative or transient hypocalcemia. According to our results, no significant relationship could be established between any of the study parameters and persistent hypocalcemia.
Keywords: Thyroidectomy, transient hypocalcemia, permanent hypoparathyroidism, risk factors
Ethics committee approval was received for this study from the ethics committee of Gaziosmanpaşa Taksim Education and Research Hospital.
Externally peer-reviewed.
Concept - D.G., D.K.; Design - D.G., F.N.K.; Supervision - M.E.; Funding - M.L.G., E.K.; Materials - A.A.İ., E.K.; Data Collection and/or Processing - E.K., D.K., M.E.; Analysis and/or Interpretation - D.G., F.N.K.; Literature Review - M.L.G., D.K., E.K.; Writer - D.G., D.K.; Critical Review - F.N.K., M.E.
No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.