title: Endoscopic thyroidectomy using the EZ-VANS method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several video-assisted and robotic surgery techniques have been reported for resection of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Our institute has started performing endoscopic thyroidectomy using the Lap-protector and E·Z-access system, referred to as E·Z-access using video-assisted neck surgery (EZ-VANS). In this report, we evaluate the safety and efficacy of this technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2007 to September 2014, 110 patients underwent resection of a primary thyroid tumor, 73 who underwent a cervical collar incision (the Open group) and 37 underwent EZ-VANS (the EZ-VANS group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average operating time was 159 and 172 min in the Open group and EZ-VANS group, respectively; the amount of blood loss was 46.5 and 54.7 ml, respectively; and the length of hospital stay after surgery was 4.3 and 5.2 days, respectively, with no significant differences observed between the two groups. The learning curve for the EZ-VANS technique was shorter than for open surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We confirmed that the EZ-VANS technique is a safe and useful method for resection of benign and early malignant thyroid tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan. naga0103@med.u-toyama.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanobio Drug Discovery, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Yoshida Shimoadachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Isaya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsukada
mesh_terms: D004724:Endoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: EZ-VANS; Endoscopic thyroidectomy; E·Z-access; Lap-protector