Laparoscopic Thyroidectomy for Thyroid Diseases:Report of 160 Cases / 中国微创外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To discuss the efficacy and cosmetic effect of laparoscopic thyroidectomy for patients with thyroid diseases. Methods The clinical data of 160 patients who underwent laparoscopic thyroidectomy through the anterior chest approach were analyzed. The operation was performed under a pressure of 8 mm Hg within the surgical space at the neck. After the thyroid was separated completely, the lesions were resected using an ultrasound knife. Results Laparoscopic thyroidectomy was completed in 157 of the patients including 6 cases of papillary adenocarcinoma. The other 3 patients were converted to open surgery because of hyperthyroidisms complicated with intraoperative hemorrhage (1) or thyroid carcinoma complicated with lymph node metastasis (2). No severe complications involving the trachea and parathyroid occurred in this series. One patient with thyroid carcinoma developed transient hoarseness after the operation; one patient with nodular goiter had postoperative subcutaneous hemorrhage and hydrops; both of them were cured spontaneously. Postoperative hospital stay ranged from 3 to 5 days (mean, 4 days). The patients were followed up for 3 to 24 months with a mean of 6.8 months, during which none of them had recurrence. All the patients were satisfied with cosmetic outcomes of the surgery. Conclusion Laparoscopic thyroidectomy via the anterior chest approach is safe and feasible for patients with thyroid diseases with good cosmetic results.