Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
05:25
Identification and Protection of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve during Transoral Robotic Thyroidectomy
Published on: October 24, 2025
247
[Retroauricular robotic thyroidectomy: a preliminary report of 5 cases]
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Beijing 100142, China; Department of Surgery, Beijing United Family Hospital, Beijing 100015, China.
Summary
Retroauricular robotic thyroidectomy is a feasible remote-access approach for selected thyroid surgery patients. This minimally invasive technique shows potential for treating thyroid cancer, including recurrent cases.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Oncology
- Robotic Surgery
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Thyroidectomy is a common procedure for thyroid cancer.
- Minimally invasive techniques are increasingly explored to reduce surgical morbidity.
- Remote-access thyroidectomy offers potential cosmetic and functional benefits.
Observation:
- Five patients underwent gasless retroauricular robotic thyroidectomy using the Davinci Si system.
- Procedures included unilateral lobectomy, total thyroidectomy, and neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma.
- One patient had recurrent cervical lymph nodes after prior thyroidectomy.
Findings:
- The average operative time for unilateral retroauricular robotic thyroidectomy was 375 minutes.
- One patient required conversion to open surgery.
- Postoperative complications included transient vocal cord paralysis and hypocalcemia in one patient.
Implications:
- Retroauricular robotic thyroidectomy is a feasible option for select patients.
- This approach may offer an alternative to traditional thyroidectomy methods.
- Further research is needed to establish its long-term efficacy and safety profile.
