Anti-adhesive effect and safety of a thermosensitive adhesion barrier (Mediclore) for thyroid surgery: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial

Purpose@#Postoperative adhesions after thyroidectomy adversely affect patients’ quality of life. This study assessed the anti-adhesive effect and safety of thermosensitive sol-gel agents for patients undergoing thyroidectomy. @*Methods@#A double-blind parallel-group randomized clinical trial involving patients aged 20–70 years undergoing thyroidectomy for thyroid nodules was conducted. From August 2017 to April 2020, 90 patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 45, thermosensitive sol-gel agent applied to the surgical site) and control (n = 45, no treatment) groups in a 1:1 ratio. All patients were assessed using a questionnaire for swallowing difficulty, wrinkle problems, and inflammation at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after thyroid surgery. For reoperated patients, the degree of adhesion was evaluated according to the adhesion-evaluation score system (range, 0–4). @*Results@#During the follow-up period of 6.50 ± 1.38 months, the swallowing difficulty, wrinkle problem, and inflammation were improved in both groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups related to swallowing difficulty, wrinkle problems, and inflammation. Two patients in the control group and 1 in the experimental group who underwent reoperation had an adhesion-evaluation score of 3 points. There were no adverse effects or allergic reactions. @*Conclusion@#A thermosensitive sol-gel agent can be safely used as an anti-adhesive barrier. However, this study did not reveal its efficacy for postoperative adhesions. A more objective and systematic study is required in the future.

Comparative study of bilateral axillo-breast approach endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy: propensity score matching analysis of large multi-institutional data

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to compare the large multi-institutional data of surgical outcomes of bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic (RT) and endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) and to evaluate the merits of robotic thyroidectomy. @*Methods@#From 2004 to 2015, 1,029 patients underwent BABA ET, and from 2008 to 2015, 2003 patients underwent BABA RT in 3 large volume centers in Korea. Two groups were retrospectively compared in terms of clinicopathologic characteristics, complications, surgical completeness, and long-term outcomes using propensity score matching analysis. @*Results@#Both groups had similar demographic characteristics including age, sex, tumor size, pathologic stage, and hospital stay after matching. Each group had similar rate of transient hypoparathyroidism, however, ET showed significantly higher rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism (ET 5.2% vs. RT 2.3%, P = 0.05), and transient vocal cord palsy (ET 14.4% vs. RT 9.1%, P = 0.006). Total operation time was longer in the ET group irrespective of surgical extents, including lobectomy (P = 0.016), total thyroidectomy (P = 0.031), and total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection (P = 0.019). The rate of patients with off-Tg under 1.0 ng/mL after 1st ablation was significantly higher in RT than ET group (ET 64.6% vs. RT 92.7%, P < 0.001). In long-term follow-up of cancer patients, 1.4% experienced recurrence after ET (10 cases), while 0.3% cases experienced recurrence after RT (5 cases) (P < 0.001). @*Conclusion@#Both ET and RT can be safe and effective methods to treat thyroid diseases. However, the application of robotic system may help to overcome the limitations of the instruments and surgeon’s skills.

Comparative study of bilateral axillo-breast approach endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy: propensity score matching analysis of large multi-institutional data

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to compare the large multi-institutional data of surgical outcomes of bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic (RT) and endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) and to evaluate the merits of robotic thyroidectomy. @*Methods@#From 2004 to 2015, 1,029 patients underwent BABA ET, and from 2008 to 2015, 2003 patients underwent BABA RT in 3 large volume centers in Korea. Two groups were retrospectively compared in terms of clinicopathologic characteristics, complications, surgical completeness, and long-term outcomes using propensity score matching analysis. @*Results@#Both groups had similar demographic characteristics including age, sex, tumor size, pathologic stage, and hospital stay after matching. Each group had similar rate of transient hypoparathyroidism, however, ET showed significantly higher rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism (ET 5.2% vs. RT 2.3%, P = 0.05), and transient vocal cord palsy (ET 14.4% vs. RT 9.1%, P = 0.006). Total operation time was longer in the ET group irrespective of surgical extents, including lobectomy (P = 0.016), total thyroidectomy (P = 0.031), and total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection (P = 0.019). The rate of patients with off-Tg under 1.0 ng/mL after 1st ablation was significantly higher in RT than ET group (ET 64.6% vs. RT 92.7%, P < 0.001). In long-term follow-up of cancer patients, 1.4% experienced recurrence after ET (10 cases), while 0.3% cases experienced recurrence after RT (5 cases) (P < 0.001). @*Conclusion@#Both ET and RT can be safe and effective methods to treat thyroid diseases. However, the application of robotic system may help to overcome the limitations of the instruments and surgeon’s skills.

Transoral endoscopic surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma: initial experiences of a single surgeon in South Korea

PURPOSE: The transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery vestibular approach (TOETVA) is one of the newest techniques which do not result in an anterior neck scar. We report herein our initial experience with TOETVA and its short-term outcomes in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: This case series consisted of all consecutive patients who underwent TOETVA in our institution between August 2016 and June 2017. Indications for TOETVA were an fine needle aspiration-confirmed PTC or follicular neoplasm, an intrathyroidal tumor with a diameter of less than 2 cm, and no clinical evidence of central or lateral lymph node metastasis. A total of 20 patients underwent TOETVA and we retrospectively reviewed clinicopathologic data and short-term postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 20 TOETVA cases, 7 were total thyroidectomy, 12 were lobectomy and 1 was wide isthmusectomy. Mean age was 50.8 years and mean operation time was 152 ± 51.4 minutes. Tumor size ranged from 0.2–1.4 cm and the mean size of harvested central lymph nodes was 2.8 (range, 0–10). Neither mental nerve injury nor surgical site infection occurred. One patient had transient vocal cord palsy and 1 patient developed a neck seroma. Among 7 total thyroidectomy patients, 3 patients developed transient hypocalcemia. CONCLUSION: Transoral thyroid surgery could be an alternative surgical option for some PTC patients.

Addition of funding statement: Clinical characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma arising from the pyramidal lobe

We want to add funding statement in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of this article.

Clinical characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma arising from the pyramidal lobe

PURPOSE: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) arising from the pyramidal lobe is rare; therefore, clinicopathologic evaluation is lacking. In addition, the rate of occult malignancy in the pyramidal lobe after thyroid surgery is unclear. This study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics of PTCs that involve the pyramidal lobe. METHODS: The study enrolled 1,107 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for PTC at Seoul National University Hospital from 2006 to 2015. Pyramidal lobe status in pathologic reports was clear in all cases. “Pyramidal lobe-dominant PTC” was defined as single pyramidal lobe cancer or multifocal cancer with larger pyramidal lobe tumor. “Incidental pyramidal lobe PTC” was defined as occult cancer identified after thyroidectomy or as multifocal cancer with smaller pyramidal lobe tumor. RESULTS: Ten patients were included in the pyramidal lobe-dominant PTC group. The mean age was 58 ± 12.5 years, and the mean tumor size was 0.7 ± 0.7 cm. Cervical lymph node metastasis was found in 5 patients (50%). Three patients had microscopic lymphatic invasion, and 7 had advanced American Joint Comitee on Cancer (AJCC) stage disease (5 with stage III and 2 with stage IV). Compared with conventional PTC (n = 1,058), pyramidal lobe-dominant PTC was significantly associated with lymphatic invasion (P = 0.031) and advanced AJCC stage (P = 0.022). The prevalence of incidental pyramidal lobe PTC was 3.56%. CONCLUSION: Pyramidal lobe PTC is relatively small in size; however, the rate of extrathyroidal extension and lymph node metastasis is high. Preoperative evaluation of nodal status is important, and the extent of surgery should be determined in accordance with the preoperative diagnosis.