Background: Various approaches for endoscopic thyroidectomy have been developed recently that improve the cosmetic outcome, and some are even scar free. In this study, we compared the safety and surgical outcomes of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) and unilateral axillobreast approach (UABA) thyroid surgery performed by a single surgeon. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study among 101 patients undergoing endoscopic thyroidectomy from 2018 to 2019 in our institution. The factors analyzed included patients' clinical characteristics, types and time of operation, blood loss, hospital stay, postoperative complications, and cosmetic satisfaction. Results: Among 101 patients, 51 underwent TOETVA and 50 had UABA surgery. UABA has shorter operative time for lobectomy (91.7 ± 16.5 minutes versus 50.4 ± 6.8 minutes, P < .001), whereas TOETVA is associated with less postoperative pain (visual analogue scale score day 1 of 4.6 ± 1.0 versus 5.8 ± 1.0, P < .001). There were no significant differences between TOETVA and UABA groups regarding rates of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (9.8% versus 2.0%, P = .205) and hypothyroidism (11.5% versus 2.0%, P = .112), in which all patients fully recovered 6 months after surgery and most of them were satisfied with the cosmetic result. Conclusions: Both TOETVA and UABA have been shown to be effective and safe surgical options for endoscopic thyroid surgery, as well as gave excellent cosmetic result. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages, and choice of technique should be tailored for each individual, and patient preference should be integrated in the treatment plan.
Keywords: endoscopic thyroidectomy; thyroid nodule; transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach; unilateral axillobreast approach.