Postoperative parathormone level and permanent hypoparathyroidism following total thyroidectomy: a clue for the clinician.

Aim: Hypoparathyroidism (HPP) is among the most commonly observed severe complications of total thyroidectomy (TT). Therefore, any permanent hypoparathyroidism (PHPP) that may develop in the postoperative period must be predicted as early as possible. This study aims to investigate the predictive value of intact parathormone (iPTH) levels on the first postoperative day after TT for PHPP.

Materials And Methods: The study included 407 patients who underwent TT. Demographic information (sex and age), preoperative thyroid function, postoperative histopathological findings, the presence of a parathyroid gland on the pathology specimen and the length of hospital stay were recorded for all patients. iPTH and total serum calcium and albumin levels™ were measured on the first postoperative day. According to the postoperative day 1 iPTH level (above or below 12 pg/ml), the patients were divided into two groups and compared in terms of risk factors for postoperative HPP. Patients with HPP who had low iPTH and calcium levels at the end of a 6-month follow-up were considered to have PHPP.

Results: No significant differences were found between groups regarding demographic characteristics, preoperative diagnosis, type of operation and histopathological results (p > 0.05). The long-term follow-up of patients with HPP revealed PHPP in two patients and transient HPP in 98 patients. PHPP did not develop in patients with an iPTH level higher than 1 pg/ml on postoperative day 1. The mean time for patients to reach normal serum iPTH levels was 38.53 (± 58.22) days.

Conclusion: iPTH levels higher than 1 pg/ml on the first postoperative day after TT may be a clinical indicator that PHPP will not develop in these patients.

Key Words: Calcium, Hypocalcaemia, Hypoparathyroidism, Total Thyroidectomy.