Purpose: Hungry bone syndrome after parathyroidectomy is an important clinical problem in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. We examined the effect of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program on the incidence of hungry bone syndrome after parathyroidectomy in this population.
Methods: This single-institution, retrospective study analyzed 108 patients on hemodialysis who underwent parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism. Patients were classified into the pre-ERAS (n = 52) and post-ERAS (n = 56) groups. The ERAS program identified high-risk patients and enforced aggressive measures to normalize calcium levels following parathyroidectomy.
Results: There was no significant difference in age, sex, body weight, presenting symptoms, preoperative calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels, postoperative intact parathyroid levels, postoperative calcium levels at 1 and 24 hours after parathyroidectomy, and 30-day readmission rates between the groups. The post-ERAS group had significantly higher levels of postoperative calcium at 48 and 72 hours after parathyroidectomy, but a lower incidence of hungry bone syndrome and shorter postoperative length of stay. Patients with hungry bone syndrome had higher preoperative levels of alkaline phosphatase and intact parathyroid, longer postoperative length of stay, and were less likely to have been part of the ERAS program. High preoperative alkaline phosphatase levels and absence of the ERAS program were independent risk factors for hungry bone syndrome after parathyroidectomy.
Conclusion: The ERAS program reduced the incidence of hungry bone syndrome and shortened the postoperative length of stay in patients on maintenance hemodialysis who underwent parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Keywords: Enhanced recovery after surgery; Hemodialysis; Hungry bone syndrome; Parathyroidectomy; Secondary hyperparathyroidism.
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