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Transoral robotic thyroidectomy versus conventional open thyroidectomy: comparative analysis of surgical outcomes using propensity score matching

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Abstract

Background

Various approaches for thyroid surgery became possible with the use of robotic systems. Transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) is one of the newest approaches and draws attention because of its cosmetic excellence. In this study, we compared the surgical outcomes of TORT and conventional open thyroidectomy (OT).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed and compared the medical records of consecutive patients who underwent TORT or OT for thyroid carcinoma from March 2009 to January 2018. Propensity score matching using 10 clinico-pathologic factors was used to generate two matched cohorts, each composed of 186 patients.

Results

The study included 372 patients who underwent TORT (n = 186) or OT (n = 186). Mean age, tumor size, and gender were not different between both groups. The two groups showed similar surgical outcomes, except for a longer operative time for TORT. There was one patient with immediate postoperative bleeding in the TORT group. The patient underwent re-operation for hemostasis with endoscopic approach. In the OT group, one patient had wound seroma, which was treated by several rounds of needle aspiration without infection. Vocal cord palsy was present in one patient in the TORT group, which was recovered in 3 months.

Conclusions

TORT could be performed safely and had comparable surgical outcomes with OT in the selected patients. TORT may be a suitable operative alternative for patients who do not want to leave scars on the neck.

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Funding

This work was supported by Korea University Grants (K1816421, K1813081).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, KUMC Thyroid Center, Korea University Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Ji Young You, Hoon Yub Kim, Da Won Park & Hsien Wen Yang

  2. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Hong Kyu Kim

  3. Division for Endocrine and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood “G.Barresi’, University Hospital “G.Martino”, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Gianlorenzo Dionigi

  4. Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ralph P. Tufano

Authors
  1. Ji Young You
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  2. Hoon Yub Kim
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  3. Da Won Park
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  4. Hsien Wen Yang
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  5. Hong Kyu Kim
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  6. Gianlorenzo Dionigi
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  7. Ralph P. Tufano
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hoon Yub Kim.

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Disclosures

Ji Young You, HoonYub Kim, Da Won Park, Hsien Wen Yang, Hong Kyu Kim, Gianlorenzo Dionigi, and Ralph P. Tufano, nor their close family members, have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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You, J.Y., Kim, H.Y., Park, D.W. et al. Transoral robotic thyroidectomy versus conventional open thyroidectomy: comparative analysis of surgical outcomes using propensity score matching. Surg Endosc 35, 124–129 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-020-07369-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-020-07369-y

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