title: Influence of body habitus on the surgical outcomes of bilateral axillo-breast approach robotic thyroidectomy in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity is associated with a number of medical comorbidities and is considered a risk factor for surgical complications. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of body habitus including obesity on the surgical outcomes of the Bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic thyroidectomy (RoT) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 456 PTC patients who underwent BABA RoT between January 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed, and 310 women PTC patients who had undergone BABA robotic total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection were examined. Body habitus were evaluated by measuring body mass index (BMI), body surface area, and neck circumference. We divided the patients into BMI < 25 kg/m(2) and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) groups. Clinicopathological data, surgical outcomes, and postoperative complications were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinicopathological characteristics did not differ between the 2 BMI groups. The creation of working space time (P = 0.210) and other surgical outcomes showed no significant differences between the groups. There were no statistically significant differences between body habitus indexes and postoperative length of hospital stay, number of retrieved central lymph nodes, postoperative thyroglobulin levels, occurrence of hypoparathyoidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and wound complication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient with large body habitus undergoing BABA RoT were not at an increased risk of surgical complications and showed good surgical outcomes. BABA RoT may be a good alternative operative method for PTC patients for whom cosmetic outcome is an important consideration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Department of Surgery, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Division of Surgery, Thyroid Center, Seoul National University Cancer Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: June Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Division of Surgery, Thyroid Center, Seoul National University Cancer Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyu Eun
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Body habitus; Robotic thyroidectomy