Postoperative day 1 levels of parathyroid as predictor of occurrence and severity of hypocalcaemia after total thyroidectomy.

Background: Hypocalcaemia is a common and serious complication after thyroidectomy. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of first postoperative day parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurement in order to predict the presence and severity of postthyroidectomy hypocalcaemia.

Methods: One hundred consecutive cases undergoing total thyroidectomy in a tertiary referral center were prospectively assessed.