title: Surgical Outcomes Comparison Between Endoscopic and Conventional Open Thyroidectomy for Benign Thyroid Nodules.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to compare the surgical outcomes of endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) and conventional open thyroidectomy (COT) for benign thyroid nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2001 and November 2014, 224 patients underwent ET via the breast approach and 218 patients underwent COT. Clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes were retrospectively compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The operation time was significantly longer in the ET group than in the COT group (P = 0.000). However, the ET group had less intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.000), less amount of drainage (P = 0.000), and shorter duration of drainage (P = 0.000). The cosmetic satisfaction was more excellent in the ET group than in the COT group (P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ET via the breast approach is a safe and effective procedure with excellent cosmetic results for patients with benign thyroid nodules.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Thyroid Surgery †Department of Cardiology ‡Department of Pancreatic Surgery and Center for Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Minimally Invasive Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Chao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing-Qiang
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Teng-Fei
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Qian-Qian
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001940:Breast / Q000601:surgery; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D004322:Drainage; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000209:etiology