Robot-assisted transaxillary surgery for thyroid cancer: Oncologic and surgical outcomes in long term follow-up.

BACKGROUND The use of robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy (RATT) has rapidly spread in the last 2 decades, although it is mostly limited to Asian countries. METHOD We retrospectively enroled all patients with histologic diagnoses of thyroid cancer who underwent RATT at the University Hospital of Pisa from May 2012 to September 2020. RESULTS The study included 242 patients; 128 (47%) underwent total thyroidectomy and 114 (53%) underwent thyroid lobectomy, among which 28 patients (24.6%) required completion thyroidectomy. Radioactive iodine ablation therapy was required in 90 patients (37%). The complication rate was 5.3%. After a median follow-up of 38 months, an excellent response to therapy was achieved in 107 patients (74%), whereas the response was indeterminate in 12 (8%) and incomplete in 16 (11%). No local or distant relapses or increases in thyroglobulin or antibody levels were documented. CONCLUSIONS In experienced hands, RATT represents a valid option for the treatment of thyroid cancer in selected cases.

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