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Endoscopic thyroidectomy using the EZ-VANS method

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Abstract

Purpose

Several video-assisted and robotic surgery techniques have been reported for resection of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Our institute has started performing endoscopic thyroidectomy using the Lap-protector and E·Z-access system, referred to as E·Z-access using video-assisted neck surgery (EZ-VANS). In this report, we evaluate the safety and efficacy of this technique.

Methods

From January 2007 to September 2014, 110 patients underwent resection of a primary thyroid tumor, 73 who underwent a cervical collar incision (the Open group) and 37 underwent EZ-VANS (the EZ-VANS group).

Results

The average operating time was 159 and 172 min in the Open group and EZ-VANS group, respectively; the amount of blood loss was 46.5 and 54.7 ml, respectively; and the length of hospital stay after surgery was 4.3 and 5.2 days, respectively, with no significant differences observed between the two groups. The learning curve for the EZ-VANS technique was shorter than for open surgery.

Conclusions

We confirmed that the EZ-VANS technique is a safe and useful method for resection of benign and early malignant thyroid tumors.

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Acknowledgments

This study had many significant suggestions from members of the endoscopic thyroid surgery working group.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

    Takuya Nagata, Takeshi Miwa, Isaya Hashimoto, Hirofumi Kojima, Tomoyuki Okumura & Kazuhiro Tsukada

  2. Department of Nanobio Drug Discovery, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Yoshida Shimoadachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

    Yutaka Shimada

Authors
  1. Takuya Nagata
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  2. Yutaka Shimada
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  3. Takeshi Miwa
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  4. Isaya Hashimoto
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  5. Hirofumi Kojima
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  6. Tomoyuki Okumura
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  7. Kazuhiro Tsukada
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takuya Nagata.

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Nagata, T., Shimada, Y., Miwa, T. et al. Endoscopic thyroidectomy using the EZ-VANS method. Surg Today 46, 575–582 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-015-1209-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-015-1209-0

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