A clinical study of endoscopic thyroidectomy via incision under the armpit / 中国普通外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of endoscopic thyroidectomy via an incision under the armpit. Methods A skin incision was made under the armpit and a channel was established to thyroid gland and endoscopic thyroidectomy was performed in 32 cases suffering from unilateral thyroid lesion including 24 cases of solitary adenoma, 5 cases of multiple adenoma, 3 cases of cystic goiter. Results The average operative time was 125 min and the average blood loss was 55 ml. There were not any postoperative complications. Conclusion Endoscopic thyroidectomy is a mini-invasive surgery. The operative field was clear and ultrasonic scalpel is capable of dealing with blood vessels during the procedure.