Robotic thyroidectomy and cervical neck dissection for thyroid cancer.
A robotic approach for thyroid surgery was developed to overcome the limitations of endoscopic thyroidectomy and provide many technical advantages. This approach facilitates the surgeon's control through a magnified three-dimensional view, decreased tremor, and freedom of motion with articulated instruments. Robotic thyroidectomy is safe and technically feasible in patients with well-differentiated, low-risk thyroid cancer. Furthermore, robotic thyroidectomy may become a good surgical alternative option for patients with more advanced thyroid cancer. Our modified bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) for central and lateral cervical neck lymph node (LN) dissection has yielded excellent surgical outcomes as an open procedure. The incorporation of robotics in thyroid cancer surgery will continue to evolve, and the surgical indications for robotic thyroidectomy will continue to expand. Further analyses that include long-term outcomes and randomized comparative trials remain important.
Department of Surgery, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Se Hyun
SH
Paek
Department of Surgery, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kyung Ho
KH
Kang
Cervical neck dissection; robotic thyroidectomy; thyroid cancer