Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative review

Hypocalcemia is a frequent complication after total thyroidectomy and seriously affects patients’ postoperative quality of life and long-term prognosis. This article reviews the relationship between postoperative hypocalcemia and its suspected risk factors, including age, sex, serum magnesium, vitam...

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Main Authors: Bohan Cao, Guangzhe Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2025-08-01
Series:PeerJ
Subjects:
Online Access:https://peerj.com/articles/19808.pdf
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author Bohan Cao
Guangzhe Wu
author_facet Bohan Cao
Guangzhe Wu
author_sort Bohan Cao
collection DOAJ
description Hypocalcemia is a frequent complication after total thyroidectomy and seriously affects patients’ postoperative quality of life and long-term prognosis. This article reviews the relationship between postoperative hypocalcemia and its suspected risk factors, including age, sex, serum magnesium, vitamin D, high-risk pathological subtype, parathyroid injury, and parathyroid hormone levels, and assesses the ability of preoperative and postoperative parathyroid hormone levels and changes therein at various time points to predict postoperative hypocalcemia. It also discusses the protection of the parathyroid glands in situ by tracer techniques during total thyroidectomy. The various studies that have concluded that parathyroid injury is the most important indicator of postoperative hypocalcemia among these risk factors are reviewed. It is important for general surgeons to know how to avoid intraoperative parathyroid injury, which will contribute to the prevention of hypocalcemia.
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spelling doaj-art-4a0047f7ebc74e53bf2b2db2f15748362025-08-20T04:01:08ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592025-08-0113e1980810.7717/peerj.19808Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative reviewBohan Cao0Guangzhe Wu1General Surgery, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, ChinaGeneral Practice, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, Liaoning, ChinaHypocalcemia is a frequent complication after total thyroidectomy and seriously affects patients’ postoperative quality of life and long-term prognosis. This article reviews the relationship between postoperative hypocalcemia and its suspected risk factors, including age, sex, serum magnesium, vitamin D, high-risk pathological subtype, parathyroid injury, and parathyroid hormone levels, and assesses the ability of preoperative and postoperative parathyroid hormone levels and changes therein at various time points to predict postoperative hypocalcemia. It also discusses the protection of the parathyroid glands in situ by tracer techniques during total thyroidectomy. The various studies that have concluded that parathyroid injury is the most important indicator of postoperative hypocalcemia among these risk factors are reviewed. It is important for general surgeons to know how to avoid intraoperative parathyroid injury, which will contribute to the prevention of hypocalcemia.https://peerj.com/articles/19808.pdfThyroid cancerTotal thyroidectomyHypocalcemiaRisk factorsPredictive values
spellingShingle Bohan Cao
Guangzhe Wu
Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative review
PeerJ
Thyroid cancer
Total thyroidectomy
Hypocalcemia
Risk factors
Predictive values
title Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative review
title_full Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative review
title_fullStr Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative review
title_full_unstemmed Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative review
title_short Risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy: a narrative review
title_sort risk factors for hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy a narrative review
topic Thyroid cancer
Total thyroidectomy
Hypocalcemia
Risk factors
Predictive values
url https://peerj.com/articles/19808.pdf
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