Laparoscopic thyroidectomy in the treatment of 12 patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic thyroidectomy in the treatment of thyroid carcinoma. Methods 12 patients with thyriod carcinoma treated with laparoscopic thyroidectomy from January 2003 to January 2006 in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Results All operations were successful and there were no surgical deaths. The postoperative complications included 2 cases of hoarseness, 1 extremity numbness and 1 temporary hypoparathyroidism. The number of dissected lymph nodes was from 0 to 13 with a mean of 7.6 nodes in each patient. Of the 12 patients, there was one patient with bilateral lymph nodes metastasis, 5 patients unilateral positive lymph nodes and 6 patients no lymph nodes involvement. The pathologic result of all 12 cases was papillary thyroid carcinoma. After 30 to 62 months' follow-up (average 50.4 months), all patient were still survive and no local recurrence or distance metastasis happened. Conclusion Laparoscopic thyroidectomy in the treatment of early papillary thyroid carcinoma is safe and feasible.