Robotic retroauricular thyroidectomy with additional axillary port: Early personal experiences

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the usefulness of an additional axillary port in robotic retroauricular thyroidectomy by comparing the perioperative data and postoperative function between the operations with and without an additional axillary port. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of the medical records of 11 patients who underwent robotic thyroid operations using a unilateral retroauricular approach with or without an additional axillary port between 2016 and 2021 was conducted. Patient demographics, operation time, drainage amount, hospital stay, complication, postoperative cosmetic satisfaction, and postoperative neck and shoulder pain were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 11 patients who underwent robotic retroauricular thyroidectomy, an additional axillary port was used in 6 patients and not used in 5 patients. The total operation time was significantly shorter in the axillary port group (174.5 ± 23 minutes) compared to the without the axillary port group (207.6 ± 20.1 minutes) (P = .033). The intraoperative estimated blood loss (P = .525), total amount of drainage (P = .172), and postoperative hospital stays (P = .092) were not different between the 2 groups. There was no postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, hypoparathyroidism, hematoma, seroma in the two groups. There was no significant difference for either group in the pain score and cosmetic satisfaction at 2 weeks (P = .378, P = .650) and 6 weeks (P = .242, P = .546) postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Robotic retroauricular thyroidectomy using an additional axillary port was a novel, safe, and feasible procedure. Dissection was easy due to the availability of the fourth robotic arm to retract the thyroid gland. Level of Evidence: 4.