Clinical Research Directory

PRESS -PAR: Early Detection and PREvention of Symptomatic postSurgical hypoPARathyroidism After Thyroid Surgery"

This study aims to investigate whether an earlier measurement of parathyroid hormone can reduce the number of patients who develop symptomatic hypoparathyroidism. This will provide evidence for a clear algorithm to address this issue after thyroid surgery. It will lead to an improvement in quality of life and a reduction in the distress experienced by affected patients. In addition, it is conceivable that patients' hospital stay could be shortened.

Parathyroid Allotransplant for Treatment of Hypoparathyroidism

This study is being done to see if transplanting parathyroid tissue into the forearm will help hypo-parathyroid patients achieve parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels that would help normalize their serum calcium and phosphorus levels. The parathyroid tissue used in this study will come from cadaveric tissues that were donated at the time of the death of the donor(s).

Comparing PTeye-assisted Versus Conventional Total Thyroidectomy

This is a prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether PTeye™ can reduce post-operative hypoparathyroidism (PH). The study will enroll consecutive patients undergoing total thyroidectomy in a teritary endocrine surgery unit in Hong Kong, randomizing them into receiving conventional surgery versus PTeye™-assisted surgery. Subjects will be assigned to the two groups before surgery. Subjects will be under medical care as in usual practice.

Effects of Total Thyroid Removal on Parathyroid Function and Quality of Life

Postoperative hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT) is the most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy (TT). It is caused by impaired parathyroid function, leading to low calcium levels, patient discomfort, reduced quality of life (QoL), and increased healthcare costs. Traditionally, all TT patients undergo routine postoperative blood testing and standard calcium supplementation, despite varying individual risk. This investigator-initiated project aims to improve patient outcomes by using intraoperative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) measurements to guide postoperative care. The ioPTH decline reflect parathyroid function immediately after surgery and can identify patients at high or low risk of hypoPT. The study is designed as a prospective, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two arms: Arm A (\<75% ioPTH decrease): Patients randomized to either omission of routine postoperative calcium/PTH blood tests or standard monitoring. Arm B (\>75% ioPTH decrease): Patients randomized to either early high-dose calcium and vitamin D supplementation or standard therapy. Primary outcomes are calcium and PTH levels postoperatively, incidence of hypocalcemia, and healthcare resource use. Secondary outcomes include QoL assessed by validated questionnaires (ThyPro39, SF-36, HPQ27), transient and permanent hypoPT rates, and other surgical complications. By tailoring care to individual risk, the study aims to safely reduce unnecessary blood tests and optimize early treatment for high-risk patients. This approach has the potential to shorten hospital stays, reduce symptoms, improve QoL, and lower costs. The findings may influence clinical guidelines nationally and internationally, supporting more personalized and evidence-based management of TT patients.

PTeye vs Surgeons Eyes in Intraoperative Identification and Functional Preservation of Parathyroid Glands During Thyroid Surgery: A Parallel Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn if there are any added benefits of using near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) probe-based imaging system (the PTeye) for intraoperative identification of parathyroid glands (PGs) during thyroid surgery in comparison to visual identification of PGs by the surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is number of PGs identified intraoperatively and preserved in situ larger in thyroid operations with PTeye versus surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye? * Is number of patients with undetectable or low parathormone serum level on postoperative day 1 fewer in thyroid operations with PTeye versus surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye? * Is number of patients requiring substitution therapy with calcium and vitamin D analogue fewer after thyroid operations with PTeye versus surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye in a short-term (\< 6 weeks) and/or in a long-term (at 6 months) follow-up? * Is numer of inadvertenly removed and reimplanted PGs fewer in thyroid operations with PTeye versus surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye? * Is number of frozen sections fewer in thyroid operations with PTeye versus surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye? * Is number of PGs identified by pathologist in the surgical specimen fewer in in thyroid operations with PTeye versus surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye? * Is number of patients with symptomatic hypoparathyroidism within 30 days of the operation fewer in thyroid operations with PTeye versus surgeon's naked eyes without PTeye? The hypothesis explored in this study is that use of PTeye in comparison to the surgeon's naked eyes may be beneficial for intraoperative identification and preservation of PGs in thyroid surgery leading to reduced risk of postoperative hypoparathyroidism. A prospective, randomized study with 2 arms: use of PTeye vs. visual identification of PGs without PTeye (n=77 patients, each). The primary outcome measure is number of intraoperatively identified PGs with use of PTeye vs without it.

Treatment With Indapamide in Patients With Post-Surgical Hypoparathyroidism

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of daily treatment with Indapamide for 14 days on urinary calcium excretion in patients with post surgical hypoparathyroidisme.