[Da Vinci robot-assisted thoracoscopy for primary hyperparathyroidism: a new application in endocrine surgery]

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a relatively frequent disease whose incidence is often underestimated. It is caused by one or more hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands. Almost all pathologic glands (hyperplasia or adenoma) are located in the neck but 1-2% may be located in the mediastinum and may require a sternotomy or thoracotomy approach for resection. The thoracoscopic approach was proposed in 1994 and the DaVinci robotic system allows performance of this thoracoscopic procedure with the benefits of 3-dimensional vision, and improved surgical dexterity and ergonomics. We report a case of a patient with a parathyroid adenoma located in the aorto-pulmonary window which was resected using a left thoracoscopic approach aided by the Da Vinci robotic system.