Transoral robotic resection of lingual thyroid: case report

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We present a case of large, symptomatic lingual thyroid which was successfully and safely removed via a transoral approach, using the da Vinci robotic system, in an academic medical centre in Singapore. CASE REPORT: A 17-year-old female adolescent presented with a large lingual thyroid causing upper airway obstruction. She underwent robotic, minimally invasive, transoral resection using the da Vinci system. Post-operative recovery was uneventful; she was able to commence oral feeding almost immediately, and was discharged from hospital on the fourth post-operative day. CONCLUSION: It is surgically feasible and safe to undertake transoral robotic resection of a large lingual thyroid. This approach may allow faster recovery and shorter hospitalisation for patients. Surgical safety requires a full understanding of the intralingual neurovascular anatomy.