Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Long-term prospective evaluation comparing robotic parathyroidectomy with minimally invasive open parathyroidectomy
Neil Tolley1, George Garas1, Fausto Palazzo2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, St. Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Background:
Targeted parathyroidectomy is a popular technique for localized pathology. No single technique is established as superior. The purpose of this study was to compare robotic-assisted parathyroidectomy (RAP) with the most common approach.
Methods:
This was a prospective, nonrandomized study. Fifteen consecutive patients who underwent RAP were compared to 15 matched controls undergoing focused lateral parathyroidectomy (FLP).
Results:
Biochemical cure occurred in 29 of 30 patients (97%). No major complications occurred, although there was 1 robotic conversion. RAP demonstrated a significant time reduction (R(2) = 0.436; p = .01) but took much longer to perform than FLP (119 minutes vs 34 minutes; p = .001). RAP was associated with less initial postoperative pain (p = .036) and higher satisfaction with scar cosmesis (p = .002) until 6 months. Quality of life (QOL) improved in both groups (p = .007).
Conclusion:
RAP provides superior early cosmesis with equivalent global health improvement compared to FLP. The high cost and learning curve may preclude widespread adoption. Further evaluation is necessary to establish its clinical efficacy regarding scar cosmesis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E300-E7, 2016.
