Prophylaxis of Postoperative Hypoparathyroidism in Thyroid Surgery

Abstract

Introduction: There are a number of thyroid gland diseases that require surgical treatment. Therefore, it is important to improve the surgical approaches and treatment tactics in patients that need such surgery. Aim: To provide an algorithm to prevent parathyroid gland damage during surgery. Materials and methods: This work was based on treatment results of 226 patients with different thyroid diseases. All patients received extrafascial surgical interventions using modern methodological approaches. For prevention of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, we used the “stress-test”, 5-aminolevulenic acid, and a method of double visual-instrumental registration of photosensitizer-induced fluorescence of parathyroid glands. Results: Transient hypoparathyroidism was registered in four (1.8%) cases after surgery. Permanent hypocalcemia in patients was not recorded. Autotransplantation of parathyroid gland was required only in one case (0.44%). A deficiency or low level of vitamin D was detected in 35% of the cases, and in the majority of those cases, it was due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. The deficiency was corrected with the administration of vitamin D in all cases. In 10.17% (23 patients) of cases, there was no proper visual glow effect after administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), which required proceeding to the second part of the proposed method (a helium-neon laser and registration of fluorescence using a laser spectrum analyzer). Conclusions: The proposed methodological approach allows prevention of persistent hypoparathyroidism and reduces the frequency of transient hypoparathyroidism and other complications in surgical treatment of patients with various thyroid gland diseases.