ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Lateral neck dissection (LND) is performed for staging/treatment of head and neck lesions. This traditionally includes placement of a drain and inpatient admission. Drainless, day-case head and neck surgery is attractive due to cost-effectiveness and reduced length of stay, but evidence is lacking in LND. We aim to investigate Artiss™ as an alternative to drain placement, facilitating day-case LND. METHODS: A prospective review was conducted of patients who underwent LND in a UK hospital over a 22-month period. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were identified (27 Artiss™ only; 12 Artiss™ with a drain). Eight Artiss™ only patients were day-case. All drains were removed by post-operative day 2. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of complications between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This observational study demonstrates that for selected patients, Artiss™ could facilitate drainless, day-case LND. Further controlled studies with matched groups and larger numbers are required to validate this.
Subject(s)
Fibrin Tissue Adhesive , Neck Dissection , Humans , Drainage , Fibrin Tissue Adhesive/therapeutic use , Hospitalization , Neck Dissection/methods , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Ectopic parathyroid adenomas are a rare congenital anomaly despite the complex migration parathyroid glands undergo during development. Rarer still, these can be found in the hypopharynx, become adenomas and be the cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. We present a case of a woman in her 50s who underwent transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to remove her hypopharyngeal ectopic parathyroid adenoma and cure her primary hyperparathyroidism without complication. This is a radical change in practice compared with traditional open, transverse cervical approaches. We demonstrate the efficacy of using TORS for this unusual case, highlighting its versatility and the need to continue to search for opportunities to best use this advancing technology, especially when it can improve patient outcomes.
