Tag Archives: thyroidectomy

General Surgery, Otolaryngology, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Right Hemithyroidectomy

Right Hemithyroidectomy
TK Pandian; Roy Phitayakorn, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Hemithyroidectomy, or unilateral thyroid lobectomy, refers to removal of half the thyroid gland. The procedure is typically performed for suspicious thyroid nodules or small differentiated thyroid cancers based on biopsy via fine needle aspiration (FNA) and occasionally for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules.

At most institutions the operation can be completed safely in an outpatient fashion with patient discharge from the hospital the same day. It is typically performed via a transcervical collar incision, but endoscopic, transoral routes and remote access approach with robotic instrumentation have been described. The procedure involves mobilization of the thyroid lobe, ligation of thyroid vessels, preservation of parathyroids, protection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and dissection away from the trachea. In this patient, a thyroid nodule was detected and found to have indeterminate features on biopsy via FNA. A hemithyroidectomy was then performed for diagnostic purposes.

General Surgery, Otolaryngology, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Thyroidectomy (Cadaver)

Thyroidectomy (Cadaver)
Kristen L. Zayan, BS1; Adam Honeybrook, MBBS2; C. Scott Brown, MD2; Daniel J. Rocke MD, JD2
1University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
2Duke University Medical Center

Thyroidectomy may be performed for various pathologies, consisting of either thyroid lobectomy or total gland removal. Both benign and malignant disease processes necessitate surgical intervention. Thyroid nodules, compressive thyroid goiter, or persistent thyrotoxicosis represent some of the benign indications. Malignant conditions affecting the thyroid include papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic carcinomas. In the present case, a thyroidectomy via standard cervical incision is performed on a cadaver with overlying animations to emphasize the key anatomy. The discussion is in relation to a patient with obstructive goiter presenting with worsening wheezing, cough, and dysphagia, with the ultimate goal of relieving the compressive symptoms through the removal of the gland.

General Surgery, Otolaryngology, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Robotic Thyroidectomy: A Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach (BABA)

Robotic Thyroidectomy: A Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach (BABA)
Hyunsuk Suh, MD
The Mount Sinai Hospital

Bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) is a contemporary technique for remote-access thyroidectomy. BABA robotic thyroidectomy (RT) offers a number of benefits over other remote-access thyroidectomy techniques, such as provision of a three-dimensional symmetric view of bilateral thyroid lobes and optimal visualization of important anatomical landmarks, including the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), thyroidal vessels, parathyroid glands, and the trachea.

This educational video is a thorough demonstration of BABA RT performed on a young female patient diagnosed with a left-sided thyroid nodule in her early thirties. The thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy of the 4-cm nodule was indeterminate. Additional molecular testing of the specimen had revealed one of the mutations associated with thyroid cancer. Therefore, a diagnostic thyroid lobectomy was planned. The patient had expressed a strong desire to avoid an obvious neck scar, and therefore, the BABA RT was offered.

General Surgery, Otolaryngology, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Trans-Oral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOETVA)

Trans-Oral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOETVA)
Yale School of Medicine

Courtney Gibson, MD, MS, FACS
Assistant Professor of Endocrine Surgery
Yale School of Medicine

Tobias Carling, MD, PhD, FACS
Chief of Endocrine Surgery
Yale School of Medicine

In this case, Dr. Tobias Carling and Dr. Courtney Gibson at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven perform a TOETVA on a 45-year-old patient who presented with a growing thyroid nodule that was shown to be a Hurthle cell neoplasm on fine-needle aspiration.

Numerous minimally-invasive approaches to thyroidectomy have been developed over the years to minimize the neck surgical scar, many of which are performed using endoscopic or robotic assistance. However, a more diminutive anterior cervical scar still remains a problem for some patients, as well as more extensive dissections for remote access operations. Therefore, natural orifice surgery was adopted at select institutions in an effort to perform a truly scarless thyroidectomy. Trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy has been the latest approach developed, known as the natural orifice transluminal endoscopic thyroidectomy, which is categorized as a natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedure. There are several ways to perform the natural orifice transluminal endoscopic thyroidectomy. Here, the authors present the TOETVA under general anesthesia.

Announcement, Content, General Surgery, Preprint Release

PREPRINT RELEASE: Bilateral Modified Radical Neck Dissection

Bilateral Modified Radical Neck Dissection
Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven

Tobias Carling, MD, PhD, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Yale School of Medicine

In 2014, a now 61-year-old male had a total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection for bilateral papillary thyroid cancer with extrathyroidal extension. Now, after presenting with recurrent metastatic papillary thyroid cancer, Dr. Tobias Carling performs a bilateral modified radical neck dissection.