As part of the Swiss Surgeon Congress 🇨🇭, I was invited to give a lecture on how to avoid parathyroid underfunction (“#hypoparathyroidism”) after thyroid surgery.
By illuminating with a laser beam, the #parathyroid glands are better recognized and can thus be preserved. Furthermore, at the end of the operation, the blood flow in the parathyroid gland can be shown with a dye.
Why is the topic so important?
Currently, hypofunction of the parathyroid glands is the most common complication after thyroidectomy. 15-25% of patients therefore need to take calcium and active vitamin D temporarily (a few days or weeks). It is very rare for experienced thyroid surgeons to develop permanent hypofunction.
Hypoparathyroidism is the most common and almost always temporary complication of thyroid surgery.
