title: Is it possible to identify a risk factor condition of hypocalcemia in patients candidates to thyroidectomy for benign disease?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypocalcaemia is the most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy. The incidence of postoperative hypocalcaemia is reported with different percentages in literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report 227 patients undergoing surgery for benign thyroid disease. After obtaining patient's informed consent, we collected and analyzed prospectively the following data: calcium serum levels pre and postoperative in the first 24 hours after surgery according to sex, age, duration of surgery, number of parathyroids identified by the surgeon, surgical technique (open and minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy, i.e., MIVAT). We have considered cases treated consecutively from the same two experienced endocrine surgeons. Hypocalcaemia is assumed when the value of serum calcium is below 7.5 mg/dL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-and post-operative mean serum calcium, with confidence intervals at 99% divided by sex, revealed a statistically significant difference in the ANOVA test (p < 0.01) in terms of incidence. Female sex has higher incidence of hypocalcemia. The evaluation of the mean serum calcium in pre-and post-operative period, with confidence intervals at 95%, depending on the number of identified parathyroid glands by surgeon, showed that the result is not correlated with values of postoperative serum calcium. Age and pre-and postoperative serum calcium values with confidence intervals at 99% based on sex of patients, didn't show statistically significant differences. We haven't highlighted a significant difference in postoperative hypocalcemia in patients treated with conventional thyroidectomy versus MIVAT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A difference in pre- and postoperative mean serum calcium occurs in all patients surgically treated. The only statistical meaningful risk factor for hypocalcemia has been the female sex.
authors: Department of Surgical Science, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy. paolo.delrio@unipr.it
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Del Rio
authors: Gioacchino
authors: G
authors: Iapichino
authors: Belinda
authors: B
authors: De Simone
authors: Lamia
authors: L
authors: Bezer
authors: MariaFrancesca
authors: M
authors: Arcuri
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Sianesi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*