Background: Hypocalcemia is the most common complication following total thyroidectomy. Few factors may relate with increased risk of postoperative hypocalcemia. Preoperative vitamin D values have been evaluated in few studies, but reports present conflicting data. Aim of our study is to evaluate the association of preoperative vitamin D values and hypocalcemia following total thyroidectomy.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing total thyroidectomy in our department of endocrine surgery between November 2012 and November 2015 was performed.
Results: Mean age of patients was 56.2 years (±14.0) and sex ratio (F:M) was 4.3:1. Sixty-four patients (17.4%) had preoperative vitamin D insufficiency (x<25 nmol/L), 138 patients (37.5%) vitamin D deficiency (25<x<50 nmol/L) and 166 patients (45.1%) vitamin D sufficiency (x>50 nmol/L). Following total thyroidectomy for both benign and malignant pathology, 66 patients (17.9%) had symptomatic hypocalcemia (x<2.0 mmol/L) requiring medical treatment (group 1), 64 patients (17.4%) biochemical hypocalcemia (2<x<2.1 mmol/L) not requiring treatment (group 2) and 238 patients (64.7%) had normal levels (x>2.1 mmol/L, group 3). Mean postoperative PTH value was 25.4 pg/ml (range 2-61). No statistical correlation between postoperative serum calcium and preoperative vitamin D values (R=-0.001, P=0.9849) was found nor associations were found regarding age, sex, type of thyroid disease or BMI.
Conclusions: In our cohort of patients, preoperative vitamin D levels were not associated with a higher risk of hypocalcemia following total thyroidectomy. Postoperative PTH appears to be the most sensible item to predict the risk of postoperative symptomatic hypocalcemia.