Bilateral Robotic-Assisted Transaxillary Surgery

Abstract

HYPOTHESIS: Robotic-assisted transaxillary surgery (RATS) for the removal of thyroid glands is feasible by surgeons in the United States. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Academic research. Patient A 53-year-old woman. INTERVENTION: Total thyroidectomy via the transaxillary approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Successful completion thyroidectomy using bilateral RATS. RESULTS: Right thyroid lobectomy was performed via RATS to remove a 2.2-cm Hurthle cell neoplasm of the thyroid gland per cytologic analysis. Final pathologic analysis was consistent with minimally invasive follicular thyroid carcinoma. The patient then underwent completion thyroidectomy via left-sided RATS. There were no complications. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral RATS to perform total thyroidectomy is a feasible option in properly selected patients. To our knowledge, this is the first reported use of this technique in the United States.