Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2025
Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Patient-reported swallowing outcomes after transoral robotic thyroidectomy: Comparison with conventional
Seung Yeol Lee1, Soo Rack Ryu2, Bo Ram Yun1
1Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
Background:
This study aimed to evaluate the swallowing outcomes after transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) and compare them with those of conventional transcervical thyroidectomy.
Method:
We enrolled 146 patients who underwent thyroidectomy (73 TORT; 73 conventional approach). We prospectively analyzed swallowing outcomes using the Swallowing Impairment Index-6 (SIS-6) questionnaire, a patient-reported measure, before and 1, 3, and 6 days; 1, 3, and 6 months; and 1 year after surgery. Propensity score-matched analysis was performed using three covariates: age, sex, and extent of thyroidectomy.
Results:
SIS-6 scores worsened significantly immediately after surgery and progressively recovered 1 year postoperatively in both groups. Propensity score matching generated two matched groups of 22 patients each. In the propensity score-matched samples, the SIS-6 scores did not differ between the TORT and conventional groups, except at 1 day postoperatively.
Conclusion:
Patient-reported swallowing outcomes of TORT were comparable to those of the conventional transcervical procedure.
