Comparison of a gasless unilateral axillo-breast and axillary approach in robotic thyroidectomy

New approaches to robotic thyroidectomy help to prevent neck scarring and improve surgical ergonomics. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and advantages of a gasless unilateral axillary (GUA) approach and an axillo-breast (GUAB) approach in robotic thyroidectomy.

We retrospectively reviewed the data of 131 patients who underwent robotic thyroidectomy with or without central neck dissection using a GUAB (90 cases) or GUA (41 cases) approach between September 2009 and December 2011. We excluded patients who underwent simultaneous lateral neck dissection and cases within the learning curve. We compared patient and tumor characteristics, surgical outcomes, perioperative complications, and cosmetic satisfaction between the two approaches.

Robotic thyroidectomy was successful in all patients. There were no differences in terms of patient and tumor characteristics, extent of thyroidectomy and central neck dissection, operative time, and postoperative complications between the two approaches. Cosmetic satisfaction was excellent in both groups. There was no difference in satisfaction with the cosmetic result in the neck area, but the GUA patients expressed higher satisfaction with the appearance of the breast.

The surgical outcomes of GUA and GUAB approaches are similar in robotic thyroidectomy. Both are safe, effective, and yield cosmetically excellent results when performed by an experienced robotic thyroid surgeon. However, a GUA approach is associated with superior cosmetic satisfaction with the appearance of the breast.