Safety and feasibility of the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach with neuroprotection techniques for papillary thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) with neuroprotection techniques for the surgical management of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: Patients with PTC who underwent TOETVA between December 2016 and July 2020 were included in this study, and their relevant clinical characteristics, operational details, and surgical outcomes were reviewed and extracted from their medical records for further analysis. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients successfully underwent TOETVA with zero conversions. Unilateral lobectomy with isthmectomy and total thyroidectomy were completed for 58 and 17 patients, respectively, all using our unique neuroprotective procedure and ipsilateral central neck dissection (CND). The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes versus positive lymph nodes was 6.8 ± 3.7 vs. 1.5 ± 2.3. Postoperative complications included three cases of transient superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) palsy (4.0%), five cases of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy (6.7%), 14 cases of transient hypoparathyroidism (18.7%), two cases of numb chin (2.7%) and two cases of flap perforation (2.7%). The follow-up period for patients with PTC lasted for 15.6 ± 10.9 months, during which no other complications or tumor recurrence were observed. CONCLUSION: TOETVA can be safely performed for patients with PTC with satisfactory results during the short-term follow-up period. Our neuroprotection techniques can be integrated into TOETVA, which is worth recommending for PTC patients who desire better cosmetic surgical outcomes.