Comparison of endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Endocrine Surgery

Background:

• Endoscopic thyroidectomy presents significant technical challenges.
• Robot-assisted thyroidectomy (RAT) enhances visualization and dexterity.
• Comparison of conventional endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare perioperative outcomes of endoscopic versus robotic thyroidectomy.
• To evaluate the learning curve for both thyroidectomy techniques.
• To assess the efficacy of robotic assistance in thyroid cancer surgery.

Main Methods:

• A gasless transaxillary approach was used for both endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy.
• 96 patients in the endoscopy group and 163 in the robot group were analyzed.
• Perioperative results, complications, and learning curves were compared between the two groups.

Main Results:

• Robotic thyroidectomy demonstrated a significantly shorter mean operation time (110.1 min vs. 142.7 min).
• Mean central lymph node retrieval was higher in the robot group (4.5 vs. 2.4 nodes).
• The learning curve for robotic thyroidectomy (35-40 cases) was shorter than for endoscopic thyroidectomy (55-60 cases).

Conclusions:

• Robotic thyroidectomy surpasses endoscopic thyroidectomy in operation time, lymph node yield, and learning curve efficiency.
• Complication rates and hospital stay were comparable between the two surgical methods.
• Robotic assistance represents an advancement in thyroidectomy for cancer patients.