title: Complications in total thyroidectomy: our experience and a number of considerations.
abstract: The authors review 1,636 cases of total thyroidectomy with reference to specific complications, classifying them under the headings: major-minor, early-late, transitory-definitive. They report 19 cases of postsurgical haemorrhage, all within 12 hours of the operation, 31 transitory and 15 definitive cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, and 14 cases of definitive hypoparathyroidism. As far as the minor complications were concerned, there was a greater incidence of seroma following the use of the harmonic scalpel. The risk factors and physiopathological mechanisms associated with each type of complication are analysed here, above all those responsible for the major and definitive complications. The need for routine preparation of the recurrent nerve, in order to prevent occurrence of postsurgical paralysis is stressed, as is the efficacy of vitamin D in preventing symptomatic postsurgical hypocalcaemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tartaglia
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sgueglia
authors.forename: Alì
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muhaya
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cresti
authors.forename: Maria Maddalena
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mulas
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turriziani
authors.forename: Francesco Paolo
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Campana
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods