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Updated: Jul 17, 2025
Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Robot-assisted transaxillary surgery for thyroid cancer: Oncologic and surgical outcomes in long term follow-up
Piermarco Papini1, Andrea De Palma1, Michael Ginesini1
1Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Background:
The use of robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy (RATT) has rapidly spread in the last 2 decades, although it is mostly limited to Asian countries.
Method:
We retrospectively enroled all patients with histologic diagnoses of thyroid cancer who underwent RATT at the University Hospital of Pisa from May 2012 to September 2020.
Results:
The study included 242 patients; 128 (47%) underwent total thyroidectomy and 114 (53%) underwent thyroid lobectomy, among which 28 patients (24.6%) required completion thyroidectomy. Radioactive iodine ablation therapy was required in 90 patients (37%). The complication rate was 5.3%. After a median follow-up of 38 months, an excellent response to therapy was achieved in 107 patients (74%), whereas the response was indeterminate in 12 (8%) and incomplete in 16 (11%). No local or distant relapses or increases in thyroglobulin or antibody levels were documented.
Conclusions:
In experienced hands, RATT represents a valid option for the treatment of thyroid cancer in selected cases.
