Transoral Endoscopic Surgery for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Initial Experiences of a Single Surgeon in South Korea
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Purpose: The transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery vestibular approach (TOETVA) is one of the newest techniques which do not result in an anterior neck scar. We report herein our initial experience with TOETVA and its short-term outcomes in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
Methods: This case series consisted of all consecutive patients who underwent TOETVA in our institution between August 2016 and June 2017. Indications for TOETVA were an fine needle aspiration-confirmed PTC or follicular neoplasm, an intrathyroidal tumor with a diameter of less than 2 cm, and no clinical evidence of central or lateral lymph node metastasis. A total of 20 patients underwent TOETVA and we retrospectively reviewed clinicopathologic data and short-term postoperative outcomes.
Results: Among the 20 TOETVA cases, 7 were total thyroidectomy, 12 were lobectomy and 1 was wide isthmusectomy. Mean age was 50.8 years and mean operation time was 152 ± 51.4 minutes. Tumor size ranged from 0.2-1.4 cm and the mean size of harvested central lymph nodes was 2.8 (range, 0-10). Neither mental nerve injury nor surgical site infection occurred. One patient had transient vocal cord palsy and 1 patient developed a neck seroma. Among 7 total thyroidectomy patients, 3 patients developed transient hypocalcemia.
Conclusion: Transoral thyroid surgery could be an alternative surgical option for some PTC patients.
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