Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach to Endoscopic Thyroidectomy in a Porcine Model

Traditional surgical training methods to teach young doctors have changed because of the emergence of animal models. The present article summarizes a protocol for bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) endoscopic thyroidectomy in a pig model. All procedures were approved by the local ethics committee and the pigs were anesthetized by a veterinarian. Formation of the flap involved skin marking, hydrodissection, blunt dissection and, finally, trocar insertion. BABA endoscopic thyroidectomy is performed by midline division, identification of the thyroid, thyroidectomy and, finally, surveillance of bleeding. Four cases of endoscopic thyroidectomy using porcine models were performed using the BABA approach. The mean weight of the pigs was 60 kg, and the mean operation time was 74.3 minutes. All surgeries were completed without complications. Surgical training for BABA endoscopic thyroidectomy using a porcine model is a valuable education method for young surgeons who need practice before performing surgery on human patients.