Surgical outcomes of robotic thyroid surgery using a double incision gasless transaxillary approach: Analysis of 400 cases treated by the same surgeon

Background. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of 400 cases of robotic thyroid surgery using a double incision gasless transaxillary approach. Methods. We analyzed 400 patients who underwent a robot-assisted thyroidectomy performed by a single surgeon. Results. All patients underwent successful operations without conversion to open surgery. Transient hypoparathyroidism was the most common complication (51.7%) and permanent hypoparathyroidism occurred in only 2 patients (1.4%). The mean number of retrieved central lymph nodes was 6.5 +/- 4.4 for ipsilateral central compartment node dissection and 8.4 +/- 5.1 for bilateral central compartment node dissection. The proportion of patients with stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) levels at the time of remnant ablation <10 ng/mL and sTg levels 6 to 12 months after the first ablation <1 ng/mL was 84.9% and 88.3%, respectively. Conclusion. Robotic thyroid surgery is technically safe and may be a surgical option for patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. (C) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.