Early surgical outcomes of robotic thyroidectomy by a gasless unilateral axillo-breast or axillary approach for papillary thyroid carcinoma: 2 years' experience.

BACKGROUND The efficacy of robotic thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer has not yet been assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical feasibility and completeness of robotic thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS We analyzed 75 patients with PTC who underwent robotic thyroidectomy from October 2008 to August 2010 using a gasless unilateral axillo-breast or axillary approach with a da Vinci S Surgical System Robot and compared them with 226 patients who received conventional open thyroidectomy. RESULTS The robotic thyroidectomy procedure was successfully completed in all the patients. The complication rate did not differ between the 2 groups, except for transient hypoparathyroidism. The surgical completeness of robotic thyroidectomy was comparable to that of conventional open thyroidectomy, and cosmetic satisfaction was superior in the robotic group. CONCLUSION Robotic thyroidectomy is a safe, feasible, and cosmetically excellent procedure in properly selected patients with PTC.