Hypoparathyroidism: Consequences, economic impact, and perspectives. A case series and systematic review

Postoperative hypoparathyroidism (PH) is the most common complication after total thyroidectomy. Incidence varies from 2% to 83%, depending on the definition.

We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the medico-economic effects of PH and update understanding of long-term consequences, morbidity, and quality of life related to hypoparathyroidism.

We considered relevant articles published between 2000 and 2020 concerning long-term consequences of PH and quality of life. All studies concerning the medico-economic assessment of PH were included. We compared data from 2018 to results in the literature.

A proportion of 64/403 (16.8%) patients presented with transient PH during 2018, and 7/403 (1.7%) had permanent PH. Seven patients needed supplementation with alfacalcidol at 6-month follow-up. Factors predicting the need for alfacalcidol were age <45, thyroidectomy for goiter, and lymph node dissection. Additional therapy costs related to PH were €9781.10, and additional hospital costs were €230,400. We qualitatively synthesized 41 studies. Most were retrospective studies and only a few reported costs. No series assessed direct or indirect costs of postoperative PH.

To our knowledge, no previous studies reported the medico-economic impact of PH. Decreasing PH associated with fluorescence usage should be considered, particularly concerning cost-effectiveness.