New endoscopic thyroidectomy via a unilateral axillo‐breast approach with gas insufflation: Preliminary report

Background Invasiveness of endoscopic thyroidectomy has been in debate. The purpose of this study was to introduce new endoscopic thyroidectomy via a unilateral axillo‐breast approach (UABA) with gas insufflation to lessen invasiveness. Methods We performed 68 cases of hemithyroidectomy via a UABA with gas insufflation from January to July 2011. The following variables were studied: operation time, pain score, drainage amount, drainage day, perioperative complications, pathological outcomes, and cosmetic satisfaction. Results Mean postoperative pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were 2.75 ± 0.93 and 2.07 ± 0.79 at 1 and 3 days after surgery. The mean amount of drainage over the first 3 postoperative days was 144.35 ± 51.64 mL, and the mean time to drain removal was 3.75 ± 0.81 days. Two cases (2.9%) of transient vocal cord palsy and 2 cases (2.9%) of seroma were identified. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic results. Conclusion Endoscopic thyroidectomy via a UABA with gas insufflation is a feasible and less invasive option for selected patients. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2013