Robotic retroauricular thyroidectomy: initial experience from India

Robotic thyroidectomy is getting accepted worldwide, but, majority of the literature is from South Korea. The purpose of this paper is to review the early experiences with robotic retroauricular (RA) thyroidectomy from India. The rationale for robotic thyroidectomy, its advantages and disadvantages are reviewed. The reasons for selecting the RA approach and the criteria used for selecting the patients are discussed. The early experience and outcomes of 29 patients, from three centres across India is presented. Robotic approaches score above endoscopic methods. RA approach may have some technical advantages for the head and neck surgeons. Sufficient cadaver and preclinical training should be undertaken. Standardized and formal teaching for robotic surgical skill is necessary. Case selection is important especially in the initial phases of the learning curve. Our early experience with robotic thyroidectomy was encouraging.