Near-infrared Imaging Techniques for Identifying and Preserving Viable Parathyroid Glands During Thyroidectomy

The parathyroid glands and their blood vessels are notoriously difficult to visualize and may therefore be unintentionally and irrevocably damaged during thyroid surgery. This project investigates new surgeon-performed imaging techniques that visualize the parathyroid glands and their vessels in real-time during thyroid surgery. The purpose is to examine, in a matched cohort study, whether the implementation of near-infrared-induced autofluorescence for identification of the parathyroid glands, combined with indocyanine green near-infrared angiography of the parathyroid feeding vessels, can reduce the incidence of postoperative hypocalcaemia in patients undergoing total and completion thyroidectomy at Odense University Hospital.