100 cases of endoscopic thyroidectomy: breast approach

Neck surgery is one of the newest fields of endoscopic surgical application. One hundred patients underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy. We used 3 incisions: 1 on both upper circumareolar areas and 1 approximately 3 cm below the clavicle on the tumor side. Subplatysmal and subcutaneous operative space was created with CO2 insufflation at 6 mm Hg of pressure. The thyroidal vessels and the parenchyma of the gland were dissected and divided with ultrasonic scalpel and commonly used laparoscopic instruments. The mean (+/-SD) operation time was 136 +/- 10 minutes before the year 2000 and 67 +/- 9 in the year 2000 (P < 0.05). There were six cases of conversion to conventional thyroidectomy. Postoperative complications occurred in five cases. There was no subcutaneous emphysema. The patients were satisfied with the cosmetic result. On the basis of our experience with these 100 patients, we believe that endoscopic thyroidectomy is feasible and safe for resection of thyroid tumors. Thus, this procedure will provide another surgical technique for treatment of thyroid tumors, with maximized cosmetic effect.(2)