Retroauricular robotic thyroidectomy with concomitant neck-lift surgery

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Endocrine Surgery
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Robotic-assisted thyroid surgery via a retroauricular approach is a novel remote access technique.
• This study reports on a single retroauricular crease and occipital hairline incision technique.
• For the first time, concomitant neck-lift surgery is presented for enhanced cosmetic outcomes.

Observation:

• A 59-year-old female patient underwent robotic retroauricular hemithyroidectomy and neck lift for a thyroid nodule and redundant submental skin.
• The procedure utilized the same retroauricular approach for both surgeries.
• The patient had a thyroid nodule suspicious for follicular neoplasm.

Findings:

• Total operative time was 115 minutes, including 30 minutes for the concomitant neck lift.
• Estimated blood loss was minimal (30 ml), with no postoperative complications.
• Final pathology confirmed a benign follicular adenoma.

Implications:

• Robotic retroauricular thyroidectomy is a feasible and safe remote access approach.
• Concomitant neck lift can be performed in select patients with excess neck skin.
• This approach may be suitable for benign and indeterminate thyroid lesions; further studies are needed for thyroid cancer.