Confident determination of adequate residual parathyroid function early after thyroid surgery could facilitate the discharge of patients soon after their operation without the need for subsequent serum calcium monitoring and/or calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

Thirty-one patients who underwent 33 thyroid operations (22 unilateral lobectomies and 11 bilateral thyroid resections) were prospectively studied. Parathormone (PTH) levels were measured intraoperatively, and serum calcium was monitored before and after surgery to determine PTH and calcium homeostatic response to thyroid surgery.

A significant decrease in circulating PTH occurred during 27 procedures, most markedly after specimen mobilization. Intraoperative PTH and postoperative calcium levels were lowest in those who underwent bilateral operations. Patients who underwent unilateral procedures experienced significant decreases in PTH but not postoperative calcium levels. A PTH level >50% of baseline predicted normocalcemia by postoperative day 3. However, PTH level did not accurately triage other patients’ risk for postoperative hypocalcemia.

A decrease in PTH levels intraoperatively is a common event during both unilateral and bilateral thyroid operations. Although normal PTH levels at the end of surgery ensure normocalcemia after surgery, patients with low final PTH measurements may not develop significant hypocalcemia after surgery.