Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach: initial experience and comparison with conventional thyroid surgery

Financial support: None. Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest declared concerning the publication of this article. Submitted: November 26, 2019. Accepted: February 18, 2020. The study was carried out at Departamento de Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço, Instituto de Câncer Dr. Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho (IAVC), São Paulo, SP, Brasil. Abstract Introduction: Recent interest of physicians and patients to prevent scars in the neck in thyroid surgery has fostered the development of several remote access techniques in recent decades. Among the various techniques developed, transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) has shown to be a safe alternative, in selected cases, to conventional thyroidectomy. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the results of TOETVA in patients with thyroid nodules and compare them with those in patients undergoing conventional thyroidectomy. Methods: Retrospective cohort study comparing 31 patients submitted to endoscopic versus 30 conventional thyroidectomies, regarding operative time, complications and pain scale. Results: Thirty-one cases of TOETVA were compared with 30 conventional thyroidectomies conducted in the same period in a tertiary care center. Similar complication rates were observed in both groups, with shorter operative time for endoscopic surgery compared with that of traditional access. Conclusion: TOETVA can be safely performed in selected cases, with similar complication rates, and shorter operative time compared with conventional thyroidectomy.