Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Parathyroid gland transplant helps cats keep calcium after thyroid
By Padgett, S L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1998·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of parathyroid gland autotransplantation in maintaining serum calcium concentrations after bilateral thyroparathyroidectomy in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with hyperthyroidism underwent surgery to remove their thyroid glands, which can sometimes lead to low calcium levels due to damage to the parathyroid glands. In this study, the parathyroid glands were transplanted back into the cats to help maintain calcium levels after surgery. The results showed that the cats who had the transplant had their calcium levels return to normal much faster than those who did not. This technique appears to significantly reduce complications related to low calcium after thyroid surgery in cats.
People also search for: cat hyperthyroidism treatment · cat low calcium after surgery · feline thyroidectomy recovery
Abstract
Bilateral thyroidectomy is a commonly indicated treatment for feline hyperthyroidism. The most common postoperative complication is hypocalcemia due to disruption of the parathyroid glands. When parathyroid gland disruption is obvious, many authors suggest autotransplantation (AT) of the glands. This technique never has been supported by a scientific study which monitored postoperative calcium or parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations. Cats in this study each underwent bilateral thyroidectomy and parathyroid AT to mimic a clinical situation. Serum calcium concentrations normalized much quicker than concentrations in previously reported cats undergoing bilateral thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. Parathyroid AT greatly reduces morbidity in the parathyroidectomized cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9590450/