Surgical outcomes of minimally invasive thyroidectomy in thyroid cancer: comparison with conventional open thyroidectomy

Background: Minimally invasive thyroidectomy (MIT) is a safe method of performing thyroidectomy with notable benefits, such as improved cosmesis and reduced postoperative pain. The objective of this retrospective study was to report our experience with the technical feasibility of MIT, and compare its early surgical outcomes with those of conventional open thyroidectomy (COT) in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Methods: A total of 617 patients who underwent MIT and 2,674 patients who underwent COT were reviewed between March 2006 and November 2017 at Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea). The mean follow-up duration was 41.2±19.7 months. Results: The mean age of patients with DTC was 46.1±11.2 years. The mean operation time in the MIT group was significantly shorter than that of the COT group (63.5±26.2 vs. 85.3±36.8 minutes, P<0.001). The mean hospital stay was significantly shorter in the MIT group than it was in the COT group as well (2.7±0.6 vs. 3.1±0.8 days, P<0.001). There were significantly fewer painkillers used after surgery in the MIT group than in the COT group (1.2±0.5 vs. 2.7±1.6, P<0.001). The mean number of harvested LNs in the MIT group was significantly lower than that of the COT group (3.1±2.6 vs. 5.5±4.0, P<0.001). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that MIT is technically feasible in patients with DTC. MIT is a valuable alternative operative technique to COT with good surgical outcomes and outstanding cosmetic results.