Hypocalcemia after Minimally Invasive Thyroidectomy

✍ Scribed by Doug D. Massick; Matthew R. Garret

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 129 KB
• Volume: 119
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0023-852X
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.20419

✦ Synopsis

Objectives: Determine the incidence of hypocalcemia after minimally invasive thyroidectomy.

Study Design: A retrospective study was performed on patients receiving thyroidectomies between July of 2006 and July of 2008 to evaluate the incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia in patients undergoing minimally invasive thyroidectomy.

Methods: Retrospective nonrandomized study.

Results: 168 patients underwent thyroid surgery during the study period. 74 of these surgeries were performed by a minimally invasive technique through a 3 cm incision. Postoperative hypocalcemia occurred in 14 patients (18%) requiring supplementation with calcium and vitamin D for two weeks in the postoperative period to regain normal calcium status. No patients demonstrated symptoms of hypocalcemia. All patients demonstrated normal serum calcium levels at three weeks. The performance of minimally invasive total thyroidectomy was predictive of postoperative hypocalcemia.

Conclusion: Minimally invasive thyroidectomy is associated with a low rate of postoperative hypocalcemia comparable to that reported previously after standard thyroidectomy.