Vasher M, Goodman A, Politz D, Norman J. Postoperative calcium requirements in 6,000 patients undergoing outpatient parathyroidectomy: easily avoiding symptomatic hypocalcemia. J Am Coll Surg. 2010 Jul;211(1):49-54. Full-text for Emory users.

Background: To determine the amount and duration of supplemental oral calcium for patients with varying clinical presentations discharged immediately after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism.

Study design: A 4-year, prospective, single-institution study of 6,000 patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism and discharged within 2.5 hours. Based on our previous studies, patients are started on a sliding scale of oral calcium determined by a number of preoperative measures (ie, serum calcium, body weight, osteoporosis) beginning 3 hours postoperation and decreasing to a maintenance dose by week 3. Patients reported all hypocalcemia symptoms daily for 2 weeks.