title: Minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy in differentiated thyroid cancer: a 1-year follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few reports on the use of minimally invasive video assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) technique in the treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2007 to September 2007, we treated 227 patients for benign or malignant diseases with a total thyroidectomy. We have selected 68 cases consecutively treated for thyroid carcinoma with a total thyroidectomy. The inclusion criteria considered the patients treated with conventional thyroidectomy and the patients treated with the MIVAT. Our follow-up examination was conducted in agreement with the guidelines of the European Consensus Conference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have identified a first group of cases; group A, which stored the cases treated with the MIVAT technique. This group contained 9 males and 27 females; the median age was 49.69+/-9.26 years. Group B contained 6 males and 26 females treated with the conventional thyroidectomy; the median age was 44.15+/-11.73 years. The postoperative pain at 24 hours after the surgical procedure in A group was 1.033+/-0.87, whereas in B group it was 1.915+/-1.24 (P<0.05).The neoplastic node diameter was 13.31+/-6.31 mm in group A and 16.36+/-8.15 mm in group B (P=ns). All of the patients were treated with radioiodine. The value of thyroglobulin after 12 months in group A was 0.648+/-0.2 ng/mL whereas the value was 0.705+/-0.2 ng/mL in group B (P=ns).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We think that MIVAT for the right cases is a safe and valid surgical procedure for differentiated thyroid cancer. This technique has a challenging learning curve, and the surgeons must be experts in conventional thyroid surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. paolo.delrio@unipr.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sommaruga
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pisani
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palladino
authors.forename: Maria Francesca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Arcuri
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franceschin
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sianesi
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery