The Incidence of Serum Calcium Elevation due to Adrenal Insufficiency After Unilateral Adrenalectomy

Purpose To investigate the incidence of elevated serum calcium levels after unilateral adrenalectomy. Methods A total of 239 patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy from March 2013 to April 2021 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital were analyzed retrospectively for this study. The patients’ medical records were reviewed to identify changes in serum calcium levels. Calcium levels were corrected for analysis. Results Of 239 patients, 7.5% showed significant increases in the corrected serum calcium levels. In those patients, the glomerular filtration rate and serum albumin levels were decreased postoperatively. A single patient showed life-threatening hypercalcemia requiring re-admission. Conclusion Unilateral adrenalectomy may result in elevated serum calcium levels. These elevations might be partly due to adrenal insufficiency. A preoperative evaluation may be needed to prevent hypercalcemic events.