Impact of autofluorescence-guided surgery of parathyroid glands during total thyroidectomy in experienced surgeons: A randomized clinical trial.

Abstract

Post-surgical hypoparathyroidism often occurs after total thyroidectomy (TT). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the use of near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) of parathyroid glands (PGs) can aid experienced surgeons in identifying more PGs during surgery, potentially reducing unintended resection, and assessing its impact on post-surgical hypoparathyroidism. All patients undergoing at least a TT by two experienced surgeons, between 2020 and 2021, were enrolled and randomized into two cohorts: NIRAF group (NG) and CONTROL group (CG). Transient hypoparathyroidism was defined by serum concentration of PTH<12ng/mL at the 1st post-operative day and permanent by the need of calcium-active vitamin D treatment >6months from the surgery with still undetectable PTH or <12ng/m. Among 236 patients (111 in NG, 125 in CG), the number of PGs identified was higher in NG (93.9%, 417/444) compared to CG (81.4%, 407/500) (p<0.001), with a mean of 3.76±0.44 PGs per patient in NG and 3.25±0.79 in CG. The number of unintendedly resected PGs was 14 in NG and 42 in CG (p<0.0001). Transient hypoparathyroidism was observed in 18 patients (16.2%) in NG and 40 patients (32.0%) in CG (p=0.004). Permanent hypoparathyroidism affected 1 patient in NG and 7 patients in CG (p=0.06). The mean operative time was longer in NG (104.3±32.08min) compared to CG (85.5±40.62min) (p<0.001). NIRAF enhances the identification of PGs, preventing their inadvertent resection and reducing the overall incidence of post-surgical hypoparathyroidism.