Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

A Novel Contralateral Axillo-Bilateral-Breast Approach for Endoscopic Thyroid Surgery
Published on: July 28, 2026
Comparison of serum calcium change following thyroid and nonthyroid neck surgery
Nicholas Mehta1, Nelson B Watts, Jeffrey A Welge
1Dept of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0001, USA.
Objective:
Compare serum calcium changes following thyroid and nonthyroid/parathyroid neck surgery.
Study Design:
Controlled historic cohort study of 190 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy (TT, n = 97), completion thyroidectomy (CT, n = 27), and lateral neck dissection (ND, n = 66).
Results:
Each group experienced significant corrected serum calcium drop pre-op to POD #1 (mean change (mg/dL) TT = 0.97, CT = 0.79, ND = 0.46; all P < 0.001) with significantly greater drop in TT and CT (P < 0.0001). TT and ND had significantly greater calcium drop from pre-op to PACU than CT (0.54, 0.43, 0.15; P = 0.04). TT and CT experienced significantly greater calcium drop from PACU to POD #1 than ND (0.45, 0.53, 0.05; P < 0.0001). No significant difference in hypocalcemia rate between TT and CT.
Conclusions:
Perioperative calcium drop in nonthyroid neck surgery is likely hemodilutional, occurring intraoperatively, whereas in thyroid surgery it likely results from both hemodilution and parathyroid dysfunction with the latter manifesting after PACU. Postoperative calcium monitoring should be similar following total and completion thyroidectomy due to similar rates of hypocalcemia and mean calcium drops.
Ebm Rating:
B-3b.
Related Concept Videos
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
Synthesis and Functions of Calcitonin
The exact mechanisms by which calcitonin operates in calcium homeostasis remain elusive, but its significance is evident in several vital...
Graves Disease II: Pathophysiology
The Parathyroid Glands
Oxyphil cells, whose functions remain elusive, emerge during late puberty, adding a layer of complexity to the parathyroid gland's intricacies. In contrast, principal parathyroid cells undertake a vital role by producing...
