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First report of benign track seeding after robot-assisted transaxillary thyroid surgery
Lorenzo Fregoli1, Sohail Bakkar2, Piermarco Papini1
1Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
American Journal of Otolaryngology
|November 1, 2020
Summary
Robot-assisted thyroid surgery can lead to benign thyroid tissue seeding along the surgical track, even for non-cancerous nodules. Surgeons must be aware of this rare complication and counsel patients accordingly.
Area of Science:
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
- Endocrine Surgery
Background:
- Robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy is a safe and effective remote-access procedure.
- This technique, while beneficial, carries risks of unique complications requiring surgical awareness.
Observation:
- A patient developed subcutaneous nodules along the surgical track three years after robot-assisted thyroid lobectomy for a benign nodule.
- These nodules were identified as benign thyroid tissue seeding, a first report following a gasless transaxillary approach.
Findings:
- Benign thyroid tissue seeding along the surgical track is a potential complication of gasless remote-access thyroid surgery.
- This complication can occur even when operating on benign thyroid disease.
Implications:
- Surgeons must be aware of the risk of benign seeding after remote-access thyroid procedures.
- Adequate precautions, patient counseling, and exploration of medical strategies to manage local thyroid tissue seeding are recommended.
