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Review
. 2015 Oct;4(5):403-9.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2227-684X.2015.02.07.

Robotic facelift thyroid surgery

Steven R Bomeli  1 , William S Duke  1 , David J Terris  1
Affiliations
Review

Robotic facelift thyroid surgery

Steven R Bomeli et al. Gland Surg. 2015 Oct.

Abstract

Techniques for thyroid surgery have advanced dramatically over the past two decades, driven by a better understanding of thyroid physiology, anatomy, and perioperative management strategies. Improvements in surgical technology have permitted surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery associated with less dissection, decreased pain, smaller anterior cervical incisions, and most importantly a faster recovery. The advent of robotic surgical technology has allowed the development of remote access thyroidectomy for select patients who wish to avoid a visible cervical incision completely. The robotic facelift thyroidectomy (RFT) approach also offers the advantage of outpatient surgery without the need for postoperative drainage. A growing body of evidence supports the safety and efficacy of the approach, and as a result the technique is now being performed at several centers around the world.

Keywords: Thyroidectomy; endocrine surgery; facelift; retroauricular; robotic.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The robotic facelift thyroidectomy incision is placed approximately 1 cm posterior to the hairline. Reprinted with permission (22).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The great auricular nerve (black arrow) and external jugular vein (white arrow) are identified and preserved. Reprinted with permission (22).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Dissection pocket in RFT. RFT, robotic facelift thyroidectomy; SCM, sternocleidomastoid muscle; GAN, great auricular nerve; EJV, external jugular vein. Reprinted with permission (14).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The operative pocket from a right remote access robotic facelift thyroidectomy, with the strap muscles retracted to reveal the superior aspect of the thyroid gland. Reprinted with permission (14).
Figure 5
Figure 5
The operative pocket with retractors in place.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The recurrent laryngeal nerve is visualized at the tip of the nerve stimulating probe during RFT. Reprinted with permission (14). RFT, robotic facelift thyroidectomy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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