title: Hypocalcaemia after total thyroidectomy: incidence, control and treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypocalcaemia, although usually transitory, is the most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors associated with a higher risk of hypoparathyroidism and related to aetiology and surgical procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 254 total thyroidectomies were analysed for the incidence of transitory or permanent hypocalcaemia based on the relationship with etiological and surgical factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transient hypocalcaemia was present in 29.1% of the cases and permanent hypocalcemia was present in 4.7%. Postoperative hypocalcaemia was lower in patients with completion thyroidectomy than in patients that underwent total thyroidectomy in a single operation, 12% vs. 31%. Patients with Graves-Basedow disease developed postoperative hypocalcaemia in 50% of the cases. Mean recovery time of parathyroid function was 5.2 months, with 72.2% of the patients recovering before 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative hypocalcaemia is a frequent complication of total thyroidectomy, but it is seldom permanent. Patients with Graves-Basedow disease have a higher incidence of postoperative hypocalcaemia and need closer follow-up. Postoperative calcium level analysis at 24 and 48 h after surgery is not useful for rapid identification of patients at high risk of hypocalcaemia.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain. jesus.herranz.gonzalez.botas@sergas.es
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herranz González-Botas
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lourido Piedrahita
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods