Thyroid operations are used for patients who have a variety of thyroid conditions, including both cancerous and benign (non-cancerous) thyroid nodules, large thyroid glands (goiters), and overactive thyroid glands. There are several thyroid operations that a surgeon may perform, including: 1) biopsy - removing a small part of the thyroid gland; 2) lobectomy - removing half of the thyroid gland; 3) removing nearly all of the thyroid gland (subtotal thyroidectomy – leaving a small amount of thyroid tissue bilaterally or near-total thyroidectomy – leaving about one gm or cm of thyroid tissue on one side); or 4) total thyroidectomy, which removes all identifiable thyroid tissue. There are specific indications for each of these operations. The main risks of a thyroid operation involve possible damage to important anatomical structures near the thyroid, primarily the parathyroid glands (which regulate calcium levels) and the recurrent and external laryngeal nerves (which control the vocal cords).
Development of minimally invasive thyroid surgery
Since the early 1980s, minimally invasive surgery has revolutionized the surgical management of conditions in the chest and abdomen, drastically reducing recovery from invasive procedures and expanding the range of therapeutic interventions.
Some disorders of the head and neck have traditionally required large incisions to gain access to small areas or structures. Examples of this include thyroid surgery for benign nodules, parathyroid surgery, lymph node biopsy.
In these cases, disfiguring incisions are made in visible areas of the neck simply for surgical access. In response to this problem, less invasive techniques have been developed and are now in practice around the globe.
Minimally invasive surgery of the neck was first developed for management of thyroid and parathyroid disorders. Since that time, a variety of minimal-access techniques have been developed which accomplish the desired surgical goal. These techniques are currently practiced worldwide, and multiple clinical trials confirming the safety and benefit of these procedures have been performed.
Robotic-Assisted Thyroidectomy
Valley Surgical Clinics, Ltd. is a global technology leader in Laparoscopic and Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The utilization of Robotic assisted surgical techniques provides our surgeons superior visualization, enhanced dexterity, greater precision and ergonomic comfort for the optimal performance of MIS.
We are pleased to present that newest Robotic assisted surgery, the No Incision Thyroidectomy. The team at Valley Surgical Clinics successfully completed Arizona’s first Robotic assisted Thyroidectomy. Unlike a traditional open Thyroidectomy that requires an incision to the neck leaving behind a scar that is visible across the neckline, the new technique using the assistance of the Robot allows our surgeons to make a small incision to the axillary region (armpit), leaving no scar to the neck region.
In many cases, the surgeon can see better in this technique than in a conventional open procedure. Only selected patients are suitable for this operative approach, however.
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