Comparison of surgical smoke between two approaches for endoscopic thyroidectomy and open thyroidectomy

Surgical smoke has been recognized as a potential health risk by an increasing number of researchers. Moreover, the counts of surgical smoke produced during different surgical approaches are different. This study aimed to measure and compare the particulate matter (PM) of surgical smoke generated during open thyroidectomy and two endoscopic approaches for thyroidectomy to provide guidance for safe clinical practices.

Forty-eight patients with thyroid cancer admitted to our hospital from June 2020 to December 2021 and treated with different surgical approaches were enrolled in this study. The total and peak counts of PM, dynamic changes, and other characteristics of surgical smoke produced during surgery were recorded. PM was classified as PM_2.5 (size ≤ 2.5 μm) and PM₁₀ (size ≤ 10 μm).

In a single cut, both the peak and total counts of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ of surgical smoke in the open thyroidectomy group (n = 15) were significantly higher than those in the breast approach endoscopic thyroidectomy with CO₂ insufflation group (n = 15) and the gasless transaxillary endoscopic thyroidectomy group (n = 18) (p < 0.001). Moreover, the latter two groups showed no significant differences in the peak and total counts of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ (p > 0.05).

In thyroid surgery, more surgical smoke is produced during open thyroidectomy than during endoscopic thyroidectomy, while different endoscopic approaches showed no significant difference in surgical smoke production. Thus, endoscopic approaches outperform the open thyroidectomy approach with regard to surgical smoke production.