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Updated: May 23, 2026
Gasless Endoscopic Thyroidectomy via the Trans-Axillary Approach
Published on: September 15, 2023
New endoscopic thyroidectomy via a unilateral axillo-breast approach with gas insufflation: Preliminary report
Myung-Chul Lee1, Jeong-A Mo, Ik Joon Choi
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea. lmc@daum.net
Background:
Invasiveness of endoscopic thyroidectomy has been in debate. The purpose of this study was to introduce new endoscopic thyroidectomy via a unilateral axillo-breast approach (UABA) with gas insufflation to lessen invasiveness.
Methods:
We performed 68 cases of hemithyroidectomy via a UABA with gas insufflation from January to July 2011. The following variables were studied: operation time, pain score, drainage amount, drainage day, perioperative complications, pathological outcomes, and cosmetic satisfaction.
Results:
Mean postoperative pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were 2.75 ± 0.93 and 2.07 ± 0.79 at 1 and 3 days after surgery. The mean amount of drainage over the first 3 postoperative days was 144.35 ± 51.64 mL, and the mean time to drain removal was 3.75 ± 0.81 days. Two cases (2.9%) of transient vocal cord palsy and 2 cases (2.9%) of seroma were identified. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic results.
Conclusion:
Endoscopic thyroidectomy via a UABA with gas insufflation is a feasible and less invasive option for selected patients.
