Hypocalcemia after parathyroidectomy in patients taking proton pump inhibitors

Purpose: Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors is associated with metabolic derangements, including hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia is also a known complication of parathyroidectomy. We sought to determine the rate of hypocalcemia following parathyroidectomy in patients on proton pump inhibitors. Materials and methods: The TriNetX Research Network was queried to identify patients with a history of primary hyperparathyroidism treated with parathyroidectomy between 2012 and 2022. The incidence of short-term (0–6 months following parathyroidectomy) and permanent (6–12 months following parathyroidectomy) postoperative hypocalcemia was compared between patients using proton pump inhibitors and those who were not. Results: Of 34,595 total patients, 19.5 % (n = 6753) were taking proton pump inhibitors prior to surgery. Patients taking proton pump inhibitors were significantly more likely to experience both short-term (RR, 95 % CI, P) (1.5, 1.4–1.6, P < 0.001) and permanent (1.8, 1.6–2.1, P < 0.001) hypocalcemia, and were also more likely to be evaluated in the emergency department after surgery (1.5, 1.4–1.7, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study is the first to indicate an increased risk of hypocalcemia after parathyroidectomy in patients on proton pump inhibitors.