title: [In situ preservation of parathyroid glands in total or near total thyroidectomy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the preservation of parathyroid glands and its function during total or near-total thyroidectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty one patients underwent total thyroidectomy, near total thyroidectomy, hemithyroidectomy and isthmectomy. In operation, the parathyroid glands were exposed, or were identified under microscope when necessary. The third rank of inferior thyroid arteries was ligated to preserve parathyroid glands in situ, and the parathyroid function was observed after thyroidectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients (3%) had a transient hypoparathyroidism after thyroidectomy, 26 patients (20%) had a obviously biochemical hypocalcemia with no symptoms, 73 patients (56%) had a lower calcium level in the first 3 days after surgery compared with preoperative level, 28 (21%) patients who underwent ipsilateral total and contralateral subtotal isthmectomy were all normocalcemic after surgery. There were no permanent hypoparathyroidism and death in our study population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In total or near-total thyroidectomy, parathyroid glands and its artery blood-supply should be exposed and preserved. Vasodilator and calcium supplementation should be given to patients with obviously lower serum calcium level after surgery to prevent permanent hypoparathyroidism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China. yly_ent@163.com
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Suiqin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shaoqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yanxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Ruimin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult