Endoscopic thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism / 中国微创外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To summarize the experience of endoscopic thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism.Methods Endoscopic total or subtotal thyroidectomy was performed through anterior chest wall approach in 7 patients with primary or secondary hyperthyroidism.Results The operation was successfully performed in all the 7 patients.The operation time was 130~260 min(mean,168 min),and the intraoperative blood loss was 10~200 ml(mean,70 ml).No recurrent laryngeal nerve or superior laryngeal nerve injuries,or postoperative hemorrhage,or conversions to open surgery were encountered.The postoperative recovery was uneventful.Short-term follow-up observations demonstrated satisfactory cosmetic results and no recurrence.Hypothyroidism occurred in 2 patients and thyroid functions restored to normal levels in 1 of them 2 months after operation.Conclusions Endoscopic thyroidectomy is a safe and effective procedure for hyperthyroidism.Apart from conventional pre-operative preparation,CT examination is also necessary for identifying the measurements of thyroid glands and determining the proportion and location of residual glands.