Patient characteristics
| Patient 1 | Patient 2 | Patient 3 | Patient 4 | Patient 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 64 | 58 | 80 | 72 | 76 |
| Sex | Female | Female | Female | Female | Female |
| Nephrolithiasis | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Osteoporosis | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Biochemical | |||||
| Preoperative serum calcium, mg/dL | 10.8 (8.6–10.4) | 10.4 (8.6–10.2) | 14.0 (8.4–10.2) | 10.8 (8.6–10.3) | 10.6 (8.5–10.5) |
| Preoperative PTH, pg/mL | 38 (14–64) | 65 (15–65) | 356 (12–88) | 87 (15–65) | 200 (12–88) |
| Preoperative 25 OH-vitamin D, ng/mL | 41.0 (30–100) | 46.2 (30–100) | Not available | 27.7 (30–100) | 16.0 (30–100) |
| Surgical approach | Normal anterior | Normal anterior | Focused lateral | Normal anterior | Not available |
| Minimal distance from ICA to pharyngeal wall | |||||
| Right ICA | 4.6 mm (hypopharynx) | 7.1 mm (oropharynx) | 9.5 mm (oropharynx) | 7.3 mm (oropharynx) | 3.5 mm (oropharynx) |
| Left ICA | 2.0 mm (oropharynx) | 4.8 mm (oropharynx) | 8.8 mm (oropharynx) | 12.8 mm (oropharynx) | 7.5 mm (nasopharynx) |
| ICA classification per Pfeiffer et ala | |||||
| Right ICA, grade | III | II | II | II | III |
| Left ICA, grade | IV | III | II | I | II |
↵a This classification of ICA anatomy on a scale of I—IV (“I” being effectively normal and “IV” being extremely close to the pharynx) takes into account 1) the minimal distance to the pharyngeal wall and 2) the level at which this distance occurs.5