DOI: 10.36347/sasjs

Pages: 60-67

Thyroidectomy is a very common elective procedure in Sudan. This is why critical analysis of early and late postoperative complications is necessary to assure the quality of surgery for benign thyroid diseases. A identification of the RLN has become a standard step that should be followed during total thyroidectomy; this study was meant to show how far this technique is effective in post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia. We also aimed to study the role of peri-operative PTH measurement on the prediction of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia. It’s a prospective descriptive hospital base study, done on patients who underwent total thyroidectomy in the Military hospital (Omdurman). Recorded data include; gender, age, presenting history, associated illness, operator, technique and procedure, post-operative complication, postoperative serum calcium, perioperative PTH, follow up and compliance of the patient. In results A seventy two consecutive patients underwent total thyroidectomy for benign goiter were studied and analyzed for post-operative hypocalcaemia. The majority of patients were females (83.3%), with male to female ratio of (1:5). The mean age + SD were 48 ± 12 years. Post thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia (< 8mg/dl) with in the first 72 hours was found in 18 (25%) patients, nine (50%) of them were symptomatic. From the seven patients under the study with toxic goiters, three patients developed hypocalcaemia (p-value=0.047). RLN was identified and preserved in 65 patients thirteen (20.0%) of them developed hypocalcaemia.(P-value= 0.211).