Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026
Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Robotic thyroidectomy using the da Vinci SP surgical system
1Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. ywoochang@korea.ac.kr.
Background:
This study aimed to summarize the current clinical evidence, technical advances, and practical insights related to robotic thyroidectomy using the da Vinci SP (Single-Port) surgical system, with an emphasis on the evolution of surgical approaches and outcomes based on the author's institutional experience and literature review.
Methods:
A focused narrative review of studies published between 2019 and 2025 was conducted to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and clinical performance of single-port robotic thyroidectomy. Five representative SP approaches (single-port transoral robotic thyroidectomy [SP-TORT], single-port transaxillary robotic thyroidectomy [SP-TART/START], retroauricular approach using the da Vinci SP system [RA-SP], single-port robotic areolar approach [SPRA], and gas-insufflation one-step single-port transaxillary [GOSTA]) were compared in terms of operative technique, ergonomics, and postoperative outcomes.
Results:
Across multiple institutions, SP robotic thyroidectomy demonstrated operative times, complication rates, and lymph node yields comparable to those of conventional multi-port or open surgery while providing distinct cosmetic and ergonomic advantages. Transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypocalcemia were the most common complications, with low overall morbidity. Recent reports have extended the SP technology to modified radical neck dissection (MRND) through the START, SPRA, and GOSTA approaches, confirming the oncologic feasibility of comprehensive nodal dissection within a confined workspace.
Conclusion:
The da Vinci SP system represents a meaningful advancement in minimally invasive endocrine surgery by enabling single-port robotic thyroidectomy through various remote-access approaches. Current evidence supports its safety, feasibility, and favorable cosmetic outcomes when applied to appropriately selected patients. However, further refinement of instrumentation, optimization of surgical techniques, and accumulation of long-term clinical data are required to expand its indications and to define its role in advanced thyroid diseases more clearly.
