title: Cosmetic result and overall satisfaction after minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) versus robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy (RATT): a prospective randomized study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No studies have compared robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy (RATT) and minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) regarding cosmetic outcome and satisfaction
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients matching the inclusion criteria (benign nodule less than 4 cm and thyroid volume less than 30 mL) were randomly allotted to undergo MIVAT (group A) or RATT (group B). Cosmetic result, overall satisfaction, operative time, and complications were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 62 patients underwent hemithyroidectomy (30 in group A and 32 in group B). All patients were women, with the exception of one man in each group. The mean patient age was 36.9 years (group A) and 32.5 years (group B). Total operative time (intubation-extubation) was shorter in group A (71.6 min) than in group B (120.4 min). Complications included one transient laryngeal nerve injury in each group and one subcutaneous hematoma in group B. Postoperative hospital stay was longer in group B (1.85 days) than in group A (1.15 days). On the PASQ questionnaire, "scar appearance" and "satisfaction with appearance" scores were better in group A than in group B. In the Short Form (SF-36) 36-Item Health Survey Questionnaire, domains of "social activity" and "general health" were better in group B than in group A, whereas "bodily pain" scored higher in group B than in group A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RATT seems not to supersede MIVAT in terms of satisfaction when comparing two groups of patients undergoing thyroidectomy for benign disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56100, Pisa, Italy, gmaterazzi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Materazzi
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fregoli
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manzini
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baggiani
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miccoli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla / Q000601:surgery; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000517:prevention & control; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult