Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Robot-assisted neck dissection via a transaxillary and retroauricular approach versus a conventional transcervical
Won Shik Kim1, Yoon Woo Koh, Hyung Kwon Byeon
11 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine , Seoul, Korea.
Background:
Recently, robot-assisted neck dissection (ND) using a transaxillary approach in thyroid cancer patients with lateral neck metastases (LNM) was demonstrated to be feasible. The aim of this study was to compare the surgical outcomes of a modified transaxillary and retroauricular (TARA) versus a conventional transcervical approach in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with LNM.
Patients And Methods:
In total, 47 patients with PTC underwent total thyroidectomy with central compartment ND and modified radical ND except Level I. Twenty-two NDs were performed via the TARA approach, and 25 unilateral NDs were performed via the conventional transcervical approach.
Results:
The TARA and the open ND groups consisted of 22 and 25 patients, respectively. The operation time for ND in the TARA group was longer than that in the open ND group (209.4±38.2 minutes versus 143.1±30.5 minutes; P=.000). The mean scar satisfaction score in the TARA group was higher than in the conventional ND group (3.9±1.0 versus 2.8±1.0; P=.000). There were no differences in the mean number of retrieved lymph nodes.
Conclusions:
The robot-assisted ND via the TARA approach can be an alternative option that produces excellent esthetic results for the management of LNM in PTC patients.
