Estimation of serum calcium levels after thyroidectomy at a tertiary care center: a descriptive study.

Introduction: Hypocalcemia is the key factor determining the course of hospital stay after thyroid surgery. Its incidence is more common after total thyroidectomy than after other more conservative thyroidectomies. Although the pathogenesis of hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy is not completely understood, the reported incidence of transient hypocalcemia ranges from 1.6 to 9.3% after subtotal thyroidectomy and from 6.9 to 42% after total thyroidectomy. In contrast, permanent hypocalcemia has been reported in 0.2 to 3% of patients after subtotal thyroidectomy and in 0.4 to 29% of patients after total thyroidectomy. Methods: This is a prospective hospital-based study performed in the department of General Surgery at the National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, and Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Patan Hospital, from June 2008 to November 2009. Thirty adult patients who had thyroid surgeries for various indications were included in the study. Routine postoperative calcium levels were determined in all the cases drawn on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd postoperative days. Results: Out of 30 patients, 53.33% of patients (n=16) developed hypocalcemia in the early postoperative period. 63.33 % (n=19) of patients operated for benign disorders and 36.67 % (n=11) patients with malignant disorders. 23.33 % (n=7) patients underwent hemithyroidectomy and subtotal hemithyroidectomy, while 36.67 % had near total thyroidectomies and 16.67 % of patients had total thyroidectomies. Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia is significantly affected by the nature of the disease (malignant or benign) and the type of operation performed