Endoscopic thyroid lobectomy vs Conventional open thyroid lobectomy

Background and objective: Surgical managements for these suspicious nontoxic swellings requires open conventional method of thyroidectomy by neck incisions that can result in prominent scars and immediate risk usually hemorrhage. However new technological innovations came into practiced that include video assisted minimal invasive endoscopy by axillo-breast approach that gives very promising results with excellent cosmesis. In this study, we compared conventional open surgery with minimal invasive endoscopic techniques and associate various complaints and complications that were encountered in surgery.

Methods: Sixty patients were enrolled in this comparative study. It was conducted from period February 2018 to February 2019. The patients were randomized alternatively in two groups. Group-I patients underwent conventional lobectomy while Group-II patients were operated endoscopically, Patients having nodules less than 3cm and Thy 1 and 2 were included in this study. Patient having nodules greater than 3cm, Multinodular goiter, recurrent nodule and Thy 3-6 were excluded from the study.

Results: Patients who underwent endoscopic lobectomy were much more satisfied about scar marks whereas some developed post-operative complications. It included hoarseness of voice in Three (13.62%) patients, two patients developed seroma (9.08%), three patients (13.62%) erythema, whereas no postoperative complications were seen in patients who underwent open thyroid lobectomy. No signs of hypocalcemia noted in both approaches.

Conclusions: The complications with endoscopic approaches are higher but they are minor and resolved spontaneously within maximum period of six weeks. However scar mark satisfaction was much higher in endoscopic lobectomy group.