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Comparative study of endoscopic thyroidectomy versus conventional open thyroidectomy in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) patients
Author(s) -
Jeong Jong Ju,
Kang SangWook,
Yun JiSup,
Sung Tae Yon,
Lee Seung Chul,
Lee Yong Sang,
Nam KeeHyun,
Chang Hang Seok,
Chung Woong Youn,
Park Cheong Soo
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.21367
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroidectomy , surgery , open surgery , thyroid , group b
Background The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the early surgical outcomes of endoscopic and conventional open thyroidectomies in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Methods Between September 2005 and December 2007, 499 patients with PTMC were enrolled. 275 patients underwent gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy via the axillary route (endo group), and 224 patients underwent conventional open thyroidectomy (open group). We analyzed the patient's clinico‐pathologic characteristics and surgical completeness between the two groups. Results The endo group was younger than the open group. The open group underwent more extensive surgery than the endo group. The operative time was longer in the endo group than the open group (138.5 ± 49.0 min vs. 105.5 ± 41.6 min; P < 0.0001), and a lesser number of lymph nodes were retrieved in the endo group compared to the open group (5.05 ± 2.94 vs. 5.96 ± 4.50, P = 0.007). We experienced complications in the endo group, such as transient hypocalcemia, transient RLN palsies, tracheal injuries, and esophageal injuries. There was no abnormal uptake on RAI scans in the two groups. From among patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy, all patients in the endo group had <1 ng/ml of serum Tg post‐operatively; the seven patients in the open group had >1 ng/ml of serum Tg post‐operatively. Tumor recurrence was detected in the open group only (n = 6). Also we checked the post‐operative Tg in patients who had undergone lobectomy in the two groups, and found that there were no statistical differences in the two groups. Conclusions According to our experience, gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy using a trans‐axillary approach is a safe and feasible alternative to conventional open thyroidectomy in selected patients with PTMC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2009;100:477–480. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.