Enhanced cosmetic outcomes with central venous catheter drainage in transoral vestibular endoscopic thyroidectomy: a prospective randomized-controlled trial

Abstract

With the rising incidence of thyroid cancer, there is an increasing focus on the cosmetic outcomes of thyroid surgery. This study introduces the use of a central venous catheter (CVC) tube as an innovative approach to enhance the aesthetic outcomes of drainage following transoral vestibular endoscopic thyroidectomy. A total of 104 patients were evenly assigned to either the conventional drainage tube group or the CVC tube group. All procedures were performed by the same experienced surgical team following identical operative protocols. The drainage devices were removed 48 h postoperatively, and all patients were discharged within this timeframe. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Scar formation and patient satisfaction were evaluated using the SCAR, VAS, and Patient Scar Satisfaction (PSS) scores. The clinical and surgical characteristics of the two groups did not exhibit significant differences. The average age was 33.56 years in the conventional group compared to 36.83 years in the CVC group. The cervical effusion volume recorded in the CVC group (3.69 mL at 24 h and 2.46 mL at 48 h postoperatively) was similar to that observed in the conventional group (3.63 mL at 24 h and 2.31 mL at 48 h postoperatively), with no statistically significant variance. Furthermore, the rates of complications were comparable between the groups. Notably, the SCAR and VAS scores, which evaluate postoperative scarring, were significantly reduced in the CVC group (p < 0.01), suggesting enhanced cosmetic results. Additionally, patient satisfaction was markedly higher in the CVC group. Our data objectively demonstrate superior postoperative cosmesis and satisfaction following in CVC tube comparison with regular tube.

Keywords: Central venous catheter; Cosmetic outcomes; Drainage; Transoral vestibular endoscopic thyroidectomy.