• Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China;
WANG Xuechen, Email: wxcglyy@sina.com
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Objective  To explore the feasibility and safety of endoscopic thyroidectomy via chest-breast approach
and summarize the operation skill.
Method  The clinical data of 40 cases performed endoscopic thyroidectomy via chest-breast approach from August 2010 to August 2012 in this hospital were analyzed retrospectively.
Results  The endoscopic thyroidectomies via chest-breast approach were successfully performed in all 40 patients without conversion to open surgery, massive haemorrhage, hypercapnia, severe subcutaneous emphysema, cutaneous necrosis on chest,permanent impairment of recurrent laryngeal nerve, and permanent hypoparathyroidism. One case of hoarseness was found on 2d after operation, who returned to normal after symptomatic treatment. One case of numbness in the extremities
happened on day 2 after operation and the symptom was relieved through intravenous and oral administration of calcium treatment in 3d. One case of cutaneous tightness on chest happened, and it was spontaneous remission in a month. The operation time was (102±28.4) min (55-182 min), intraoperative bleeding was (46±16.6) mL (30-106 mL), and the drainage tube was removed postoperative 2-7d with an average (4±2.2) d, the postoperative hospitalization was 3-8 d with an average (4±1.1) d. All of the cases were followed-up after operation without low calcium, low parathyroid hormone, hoarseness, and local goiter recurrence. Two cases of hypoparathyroidism returned to normal after oral thyroxine dose adjustment. All the patients were satisfied with the cosmetic results.
Conclusions  The endoscopic thyroidectomy via chest-breast approach is safe and feasible with good cosmetic results. The subcutaneous Y tunnel, the “upper yellow middle white lower red” appearance on the chest, and the landmark of inverse trapezium on the neck are the key points for creation of operation compartment. Sufficient exposure, stepwise procedure, blunt dissection combined with sharp dissection in the precise gap are the surgical skills for endoscopic thyroidectomy.

Citation: SU Lei,SANG Jianfeng,YAO Yongzhong,WANG Xuechen. Operation Skill for Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Via Chest-Breast Approach. CHINESE JOURNAL OF BASES AND CLINICS IN GENERAL SURGERY, 2013, 20(5): 512-516. doi: Copy

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