Korean J Endocr Surg.  2009 Dec;9(4):201-205. 10.16956/kjes.2009.9.4.201.

Comparative Study of Endoscopic Thyroidectomy: Total Thyroidectomy versus Near Total Thyroidectomy

• Yoo HM
• Kim TW
• Bae JS
• Cho HJ
• Kim KH
• An CH
• Park WC
• Lee DH
• Kim JS

• KMID: 2375733
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16956/kjes.2009.9.4.201

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the surgical outcomes of endoscopic total and near-total thyroidectomies in patients with thyroid cancer.
METHODS
Between February 2000 and January 2009, among 387 patients who underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy in our hospital, we evaluated 50 patients who underwent endoscopic total or near-total thyroidectomy. Thirtyfive and 15 patients underwent endoscopic total thyroidectomy and near-total thyroidectomy, respectively. We analyzed the patients' clinicopathologic characteristics and post-operative complications between the two groups.
RESULTS
The mean size of tumors was 1.08 cm (range, 0.1 ~3.5 cm) and the mean operative time was 192 minutes. Forty-nine tumors were papillary cancers and 1 tumor was a follicular cancer. Two patients in the endoscopic total thyroidectomy group underwent re-operation because of bleeding. In the near-total thyroidectomy group, one patient had transient hypocalcemia and one patient had temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. In the total thyroidectomy group, nine patients had transient hypocalcemia and one patient had temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. There was no statistical difference in the post-operative complicationrates between the two groups (P=0.254 for hypocalcemia and P=0.470 for injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve).
CONCLUSION
Based on our experience, endoscopic total thyroidectomy is a safe and feasible alternative to endoscopic near-total thyroidectomy.

Keyword

Total thyroidectomy; Near total thyroidectomy; Endoscopic thyroidectomy; Thyroid cancer

MeSH Terms

Hemorrhage
Humans
Hypocalcemia
Operative Time
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroidectomy*
Vocal Cord Paralysis