Transoral Robotic Thyroidectomy

Abstract

Purpose of Review Transoral approach is nowadays gaining the enormous attention among the thyroid surgeons, as it showed definite merits over the previously developed remote-access approaches for thyroidectomy, such as the ideal cosmetic outcome without remaining the postoperative scars, and the lesser dissection of the flap resulting in the decreased operation time and lesser postoperative pain. Recent Findings Instead of using the conventional endoscopic operation apparatus and instruments, we could successfully introduce the robotic surgical system to this novel surgical approach, and, in turn, could have the optimal surgical outcomes enhanced by the unique three-dimensional operative vision and multiple articulating instruments, after overcoming some trials and errors encountered during the initial developmental era. Summary I herein describe the procedures of transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) which we uniquely developed, and show my personal opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of the TORT.