Postoperative Distress and Cosmetic Outcomes After Open Versus Robotic Thyroidectomy

Robotic assistance during thyroid surgery has been utilized clinically in Korea since late 2007. Robotic thyroidectomy has also been validated for surgical management of the thyroid gland. Compared with endoscopic thyroidectomy, the use of a robot in an endoscopic approach via the axilla provides a broader view of the thyroid bed, albeit from a lateral, as opposed to the conventional anterior, perspective. The wrist action of a surgical robot also provides a greater degree of movement than afforded by the use of simple endoscopic instruments, and tremor is eliminated. Although several reports on operative outcomes of the robotic technique have appeared, no prospective trials comparing the clinical results of robotic with conventional open thyroidectomy have been described. We therefore designed a prospective trial comparing outcomes, including postoperative distress and patient satisfaction, between patients undergoing robotic and conventional open thyroidectomy.