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Inferior thyroid artery ligation increases hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy: A meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Sanabria Alvaro,
Kowalski Luiz P.,
Tartaglia Francesco
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.26681
Subject(s) - medicine , inferior thyroid artery , randomized controlled trial , meta analysis , ligation , thyroid , confidence interval , relative risk , thyroidectomy , surgery , recurrent laryngeal nerve
Objective To assess the effect of truncal ligation of the inferior thyroid artery in comparison with ligation of secondary branches as a risk factor for postoperative hypocalcemia. Data Sources A search was conducted using the Medical Subject Headings and free‐text terms “thyroid*” and “truncal ligation*” in PubMed Central, PubMed, Embase, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases for trials published between January 1985 and October 2016. A Google search with the same terms, and a “snowball” approach was designed to retrieve the largest number of articles. Review Methods Controlled trials (randomized or not) of adults who underwent total/bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy were searched, and truncal ligation versus nontruncal ligation of the inferior thyroid artery was compared. Data were acquired following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Methodological quality of randomized controlled trials was assessed in accordance with Cochrane Collaboration guidelines, and for nonrandomized controlled trials, the Newcastle‐Ottawa quality assessment scale for cohort studies was used. Pooled results are presented as risk differences with a random effects model. The main outcome was postoperative temporary and definitive hypocalcemia. Results We found 11 nonrandomized controlled trials and nine randomized controlled trials with 1940 patients: 977 patients in the trunk ligation group and 963 patients in the nontruncal ligation group. The risk difference for biochemical hypocalcemia was 6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2% to 11%), for symptomatic hypocalcemia 6% (95% CI: 1% to 10%), and definitive hypocalcemia 0% (95% CI: −1% to 1%) in the whole group. Conclusions Truncal ligation of the inferior thyroid artery increases the risk of temporary and symptomatic hypocalcemia but not the risk of definitive hypocalcemia. Laryngoscope , 128:534–541, 2018