title: Early surgical outcomes of robotic thyroidectomy by a gasless unilateral axillo-breast or axillary approach for papillary thyroid carcinoma: 2 years' experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The efficacy of robotic thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer has not yet been assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical feasibility and completeness of robotic thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 75 patients with PTC who underwent robotic thyroidectomy from October 2008 to August 2010 using a gasless unilateral axillo-breast or axillary approach with a da Vinci S Surgical System Robot and compared them with 226 patients who received conventional open thyroidectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The robotic thyroidectomy procedure was successfully completed in all the patients. The complication rate did not differ between the 2 groups, except for transient hypoparathyroidism. The surgical completeness of robotic thyroidectomy was comparable to that of conventional open thyroidectomy, and cosmetic satisfaction was superior in the robotic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Robotic thyroidectomy is a safe, feasible, and cosmetically excellent procedure in properly selected patients with PTC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. kytae@hanyang.ac.kr
authors.forename: Kyung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tae
authors.forename: Yong Bae
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Seok Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Seung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Sun
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Wha
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage; D004954:Esthetics; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012371:Robotics; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013954:Thyroglobulin