title: Long-Term Voice Outcomes After Robotic Thyroidectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term voice function after robotic thyroidectomy in comparison with conventional transcervical thyroidectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively evaluated the voice functions of 54 patients with thyroid nodules who underwent robotic thyroidectomy by a gasless unilateral axillary or axillo-breast approach and of 70 patients who underwent conventional thyroidectomy. Subjective voice symptom score (VSS) was evaluated in questionnaires before thyroidectomy and then at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Objective acoustic parameters analyzed during the same period included fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonic ratio, highest frequency, frequency and intensity range, and maximal phonation time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 3 months after surgery, VSS was better in the robotic group than in the conventional group. At 2 years after surgery, VSS had recovered to the pre-operative level in the robotic group, whereas it remained significantly worse at 2 years in the conventional group. The phonatory frequency range and highest frequency were significantly wider and higher, respectively, in the robotic group than the conventional group at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively.Within the robotic group, the frequency range and highest frequency recovered to pre-operative levels by 6 months, whereas in the conventional group they remained below the pre-operative levels at 2 years post-operatively. There were no differences in other acoustic parameters between the two groups of patients at any period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Up to 2 years post-operatively, robotic thyroidectomy has advantages in terms of recovery of voice symptoms and acoustic parameters over conventional thyroidectomy.
authors.forename: Chang Myeon
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Bo Ram
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Yong Bae
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Eui Suk
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Kyung Rae
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012371:Robotics; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014833:Voice Quality