title: Postoperative hypocalcemia: assessment timing.
abstract: 180 total thyroidectomy case studies performed by the same operator in the years 2006-2010, all done with sutureless technique (Ligasure precise(®)). The monitoring of patients involved a dose of serum calcium on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and seventh post-operative, before the ambulatory monitoring of the patient. Treatment of post-operative thyroidectomy also includes the administration from the first day of post-surgery, of 2 g/day of calcium (calcium lactate gluconate 2940 mg, calcium carbonate 300 mg). Hypocalcemia was observed in 27 cases (15%) of which 23/180 (12.8%) were transitional and 4/180 (2.2%) were permanent. The average postoperative hospitalization was 2.5 days with a minimum of 30 h. The peak of hypocalcemia was of 11 patients on the first postoperative day (40.7%) in 6 patients on the second postoperative day (22.2%), in 8 patients on the third postoperative day (29.6%), in 1 patient on the fourth postoperative day (3.7%) and in another one on the fifth postoperative day (3.7%). The second postoperative day is crucial for the determination of early discharge (24-30 h). When the surgeon identifies and manages to preserve at least 3 parathyroid glands during surgery, the risk of hypocalcemia together with evaluations of serum calcium on the first and second post-operative day, eliminates the hypocalcemic risk.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: pasquale.sperlongano@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sperlongano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sperlongano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foroni
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco Paolo
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pezzulo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento della Donna, del Bambino e di Chirurgia generale e specialistica, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sperlongano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000601:surgery; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Early discharge; Hypocalcemia; Postoperative hospitalization; Total thyroidectomy