
The goal of this study was to determine if a postoperative infusion of betamethasone reduces the risk of postoperative HC RLN and other common complications were also assessed as secondary outcomes. Preoperative infusion of dexamethasone reduces postoperative HC occurrence without any significant evidence ( 5). Regarding the use of steroids in thyroid surgery, there is little and conflicting information in the literature. Glucocorticoids are well known as effective anti-inflammatory agents and may be important biologic modifiers of perioperative inflammatory responses, leading to improvement of surgical outcomes and reduction of complications ( 4). Even if the surgical procedure is well performed, parathyroid glands may be accidentally removed or devascularized, leading to impairment of their function ( 3). Surgical trauma is a recognized cause of these complications.

Therefore, preventing these 2 complications is a main issue in thyroid surgery. HC is a major cause of prolonged postoperative recovery and hospital care costs ( 2). HC is common in the immediate postoperative period, with a reported incidence of 27% (19–38) in the literature however, permanent HC is rare, with an incidence of 1% (0–3) ( 1).

Hypocalcaemia (HC) and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy are the most common complications after thyroid surgery. Thyroid surgery is associated with serious complications, which may be increased when total thyroidectomy is performed. Total thyroidectomy is commonly recommended for both benign and malignant thyroid diseases.
