Abstract
Background: Hypocalcemia occurring after thyroidectomy is a common complication. Analysis and identification of the risk factors associated with it helps in early detection and management thereby reducing hospital stay and morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of preoperative serum calcium levels as a predictor of post thyroidectomy hypocalcemia.
Methods: This is a retrospective study undertaken in a tertiary care hospital. 330 patients were enrolled in the study who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients either underwent hemithyroidectomy or total thyroidectomy. All the preoperative and postoperative parameters of the patients were recorded and analysed by SPSS software.
Results: 330 patients who underwent thyroid surgery were considered. The incidence of early postoperative hypocalcemia was 28.8 %. Patients with preoperative serum calcium levels below 2.3 mmol/L experienced hypocalcemia 38.9 % of the time, whereas the group with calcium levels above 2.3 mmol/L experienced hypocalcemia 25.7% of the time (p = 0.025). The incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia was also found to be higher among the female sex.
Conclusion: Preoperative serum calcium level is shown to correlate with the occurrence of early postoperative hypocalcemia. Calcium levels below 2.3 mmol/L may be considered as a risk factor for the development of hypocalcemia. Analysis and identification of such risk factors enable the surgeon to predict its occurrence and aids in early identification and management.

Key words: Hypocalcemia, thyroid surgery, hypoparathyroidism, thyroidectomy, predictive factors