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Does Vitamin D Deficiency Really Increase the Risk of Post-surgical Hypoparathyroidism?

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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Postoperative hypoparathyroidism is the most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy. The identification of preoperative predictors could be helpful to identify patients at risk. The aim of this study is to determine if preoperative vitamin D levels are related to transient, protracted, and permanent hypoparathyroidism.

Method

A prospective, observational study that includes 100 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy.

Results

Transient hypoparathyroidism was present in 42% of patients, 11% developed protracted hypoparathyroidism and 5% permanent hypoparathyroidism. The median preoperative Vitamin D levels were higher in patients who developed transient hypoparathyroidism than in patients without this complication (24 ng/mL [RIQ 13–31] vs. 17 ng/mL [RIQ 10–24]; p = 0.024). Patients with preoperative vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL had a lower percentage of transient hypoparathyroidism (31.4% vs. 53.1%; p = 0.028). The prevalence of protracted and permanent hypoparathyroidism in both groups was similar. Patients with preoperative vitamin D levels lower than 20 pg/mL had higher median PTH levels 24 h after surgery, (37.7 ± 28.2 pg/ml vs. 23.6 ± 18.6 pg/ml; p = 0.037), and suffered a lower postoperative PTH decline (46.2 ± 35.4% vs. 61 ± 29%; p = 0.026).

Conclusions

Patients with vitamin D deficiency had a lower transient hypoparathyroidism rate, higher median PTH levels 24 h after surgery and a lower postoperative PTH decline. We found no association between preoperative vitamin D and the development of protracted or permanent hypoparathyroidism.

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Data Availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ctra. Colmenar Viejo, km. 9, 100, Madrid, 28034, Spain

    José Alberto Vilar Tabanera, Joaquín Gómez, Ana Puerta, Alberto González Barranquero & José María Cebrián

  2. Department of head and neck surgery, Niño Jesús University Hospital, Av. de Menéndez Pelayo, 65, Madrid, 28009, Spain

    Philip Brabyn

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  1. José Alberto Vilar Tabanera
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  2. Joaquín Gómez
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  5. Alberto González Barranquero
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Correspondence to José Alberto Vilar Tabanera.

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All the procedures were followed in accordance with Declaration of Helsinki.

Ramon y Cajal Hospital ethics committee approved the study.

Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects and/or their legal guardian(s).

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Tabanera, J.A.V., Gómez, J., Brabyn, P. et al. Does Vitamin D Deficiency Really Increase the Risk of Post-surgical Hypoparathyroidism?. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 75, 1719–1723 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-023-03699-0

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