Hypocalcemia is one of the most frequent complications after total extracapsular
thyroidectomy (TET). In most of cases it is a transient phenomenon. The aim of this study is to evaluate if and how the
oral administration of
calcium or
calcium combined with D-
vitamin could effectively prevent post-
thyroidectomy hypocalcemia. A randomized prospective study was performed, recruiting 120 patients who underwent total
thyroidectomy. The patients in our series were randomly assigned to one of two groups: group A--patients who received
calcium lactogluconate/
calcium carbonate (mg 300 per day); group B--patients who received
calcium carbonate/
cholecalciferol therapy (
calcium carbonate: 1500 mg per day;
cholecalciferol 400 UI per day). The groups were well matched for age, sex and pathologies. Patients of both A and B groups were divided in two subgroups: those operated on for benign
thyroid diseases (A1 and B1) and those operated on for
malignancy (A2, B2). Serum
calcium assays, performed 24, 48 and 72 hours after surgery, showed mean values of calcemia higher in patients of the B1 and B2 group. Statistical analysis was performed using a Student's t test. Mean serum
calcium concentrations on post-operative day one, two and three were higher in patients of the group B (p<<0.01). Early and combined
oral administration of both
calcium and
vitamin D seemed to prove major efficacy in preventing and treating post-operative
hypocalcemia, showing mean serum
calcium levels higher than those of patients who received only oral
calcium administration. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to validate these data.