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Surgery Today
Published in: Surgery Today 3/2016

01-03-2016 | Original Article

Importance of the intraoperative appearance of preserved parathyroid glands after total thyroidectomy

Authors: Tae-Yon Sung, Yu-mi Lee, Jong Ho Yoon, Ki-Wook Chung, Suck Joon Hong

Published in: Surgery Today | Issue 3/2016

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Abstract

Purpose

Hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy is a concern for every endocrine surgeon. We conducted this study to establish the value of the macroscopic appearance of preserved parathyroid glands after thyroidectomy in predicting post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia.

Methods

In 2009, 237 patients underwent total thyroidectomy at our hospital. The macroscopic appearance of the preserved parathyroid glands was recorded and the serum calcium and intact parathyroid hormone levels were measured postoperatively.

Results

Thirteen patients (5.5 %) had transient hypocalcemia and 1 patient (0.4 %) had permanent hypocalcemia. All of the hypocalcemia patients with more than one normal preserved parathyroid had asymptomatic transient hypocalcemia that did not require medication. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for hypocalcemia with at least 1 normal preserved parathyroid were 78.6, 79.4, 19.3, and 98.3 %, respectively.

Conclusion

The macroscopic appearance of preserved parathyroid glands and the number of well-preserved parathyroid glands after thyroidectomy proved effective in predicting post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia.
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Metadata
Title
Importance of the intraoperative appearance of preserved parathyroid glands after total thyroidectomy
Authors
Tae-Yon Sung
Yu-mi Lee
Jong Ho Yoon
Ki-Wook Chung
Suck Joon Hong
Publication date
01-03-2016
Publisher
Springer Japan
Published in
Surgery Today / Issue 3/2016
Print ISSN: 0941-1291
Electronic ISSN: 1436-2813
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-015-1216-1

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