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Robotic Versus Endoscopic Transoral Thyroidectomy with Vestibular Approach: A Literature Review Focusing on Differential Patient Suitability

  • Robotic Surgery (E Berber, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of patients who underwent transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) in the worldwide literature, especially in comparative studies with transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy by vestibular approach (TOETVA), to better define the ideal appropriate patient.

Recent Findings

TORT allows a more precise and complete dissection due to the enlarged and three-dimensional surgical vision and the tremor filtering. Current inclusion criteria for TORT mainly concern ultrasonographically estimated nodules as having a maximum diameter ≤ 70 mm, the papillary thyroid carcinoma with minimal extrathyroidal extension (T1 to T3) with or without evidence of central lymph node metastasis, and Graves’ disease with an estimated volume ≤ 50 mL. Overall, although TORT requires a longer operating time than TOETVA, it allows for more complex surgical procedures, obtaining better oncological results. A clear definition of the inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients to undergo robotic surgery is essential to obtain the most reliable results in future large comparative and non-comparative studies.

Summary

The purpose of this review article is to analyze both the main comparative studies between TORT and TOETVA series and those involving cohorts of patients operated by TORT, always paying attention to the inclusion and exclusion criteria adopted.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Funding

No funding was received.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, KUMC Thyroid Center, Korea University Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Dawon Park & Hoon Yub Kim

  2. Department of Human Pathology of Adulthood and Childhood, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria n.1, Messina, 98125, Italy

    Antonella Pino & Fausto Fama

  3. Division of Surgery, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS (Istituto Di Ricovero E Cura a Carattere Scientifico), Milan, Italy

    Antonella Pino, Francesco Frattini, Viola Villardita, Alessandro Matarese & Gianlorenzo Dionigi

  4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100 Tzyou First Road, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan

    Che-Wei Wu

  5. Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Gianlorenzo Dionigi

Authors
  1. Dawon Park
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  2. Hoon Yub Kim
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  3. Antonella Pino
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  4. Francesco Frattini
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  7. Che-Wei Wu
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  8. Gianlorenzo Dionigi
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  9. Fausto Fama
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Contributions

Conceptualization, HYK, GD; Formal analysis: DP, HYK, GD, FaFa; Data curation: AP, FrFr, VV, AM, GD, FaFa; Methodology: HYK, CWW, GD; Writing—original draft preparation, DP, HYK, GD, FaFa; Writing—review and editing, DP, HYK, AP, FrFr, VV, AM, CWW, GD, FaFa; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dawon Park or Fausto Fama.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose, and no other funding or financial relationship with the surgical industry.

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The Institution's Ethical Board Committee approved the review.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Robotic Surgery.

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Park, D., Kim, H.Y., Pino, A. et al. Robotic Versus Endoscopic Transoral Thyroidectomy with Vestibular Approach: A Literature Review Focusing on Differential Patient Suitability. Curr Surg Rep 10, 133–139 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40137-022-00321-0

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