The prevalence of hypocalcemia following total thyroidectomy: A retrospective study based at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hypocalcemia following total thyroidectomy (TT) at a tertiary center. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between 2014 and 2019 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study was based at the Department of General Surgery and was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of KAUH. Medical records of 154 patients who had undergone TT were reviewed. Data such as age, gender, level of postoperative calcium at 24 and 48 hours after surgery, parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, central neck dissection (CCND), histological diagnosis were entered into Microsoft Excel sheets. RESULTS: Hypocalcemia occurred more on the second day after surgery in 67.4% of patients. Among them, 83.9% were female and 16.1% were male. The majority of patients were asymptomatic and benign thyroid disease was the most common. There was a significant association between hypocalcemia and the PTH level (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of hypocalcemia on the second day after surgery. Presence of hypocalcemia association with the PTH level. Meticulous surgical technique and preservation of parathyroid vascularity are important in preventing postoperative hypocalcemia.