The Changes of Blood Calcium after Total Thyroidectomy

  Objective  The aim of this study was to evaluate the rehabilitation time of parathyroid autotransplant through analyzing the changes of blood calcium in total thyroidectomy patients with four parathyroid autotransplanted during surgery.

  Methods  Patients underwent total thyroidectomy with four parathyroid autotransplanted by the same surgeon group at Peking Union Medical College Hospital during the period from April, 2012 to January, 2016 were included. Serum calcium levels at 48 hours, 1 week, 1 month, 6 months and1 year after surgery were collected. The mixed linear model was established and data were analyzed by Bonferroni method after logarithm processing.

  Results  A total of 37 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in this study, including 9 males and 28 females with a median age of 38 (33, 46)years. The levels of Serum calcium significantly decreased 48 hours after thyroidectomy (mean difference -0.099 mmol/L, 95% CI:-0.110~-0.088 mmol/L, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the levels of serum calcium at 1 week, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year after surgery (all P>0.05).

  Conclusions  The levels of serum calcium of the 4 patients with parathyroid gland autotransplantation decreased significantly 48 h after surgery and then gradually recovered and maintained at the normal level for a long time, which suggests that the autotransplanted parathyroid begins to recover 1 week after surgery and can be maintained for a long time.