MIVAT: the last 2 years experience, tips and techniques after more than 10 years

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Surgical Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) introduced in the late 1990s has become a globally adopted surgical technique.
• This paper details the experience of a single surgical team over 10 years, focusing on the last 2 years of MIVAT procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the experience and outcomes of MIVAT procedures performed by a dedicated surgical team.
• To share tips and techniques to aid surgeons in adopting and improving MIVAT.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 156 consecutive MIVAT cases performed over 2 years at Sant'Andrea University Hospital.
• Follow-up data was available for 110 patients, with analysis of surgical time, complications, and cosmetic results.

Main Results:

• Mean surgical time was 74 ± 7.2 minutes.
• Low rates of complications including transient hypoparathyroidism (10%), definitive hypoparathyroidism (3.60%), transient nerve palsy (14.50%), and definitive nerve palsy (0.9%).
• Excellent cosmetic results were reported in 78.20% of cases, with a 0% conversion rate.

Conclusions:

• MIVAT is a safe and effective thyroidectomy method with outcomes comparable to traditional open surgery.
• The study provides practical guidance for surgeons to enhance MIVAT procedures and promote less invasive thyroid surgery.