AUTHOR=Tae Kyung , Choi Hae Won , Ji Yong Bae , Song Chang Myeon , Park Jung Hwan , Kim Dong Sun 

TITLE=Feasibility of transoral robotic selective neck dissection with or without a postauricular incision for papillary thyroid carcinoma: A pilot study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Surgery

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/surgery/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2022.985097

DOI=10.3389/fsurg.2022.985097

ISSN=2296-875X

ABSTRACT=Background: The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of transoral robotic selective neck dissection (SND) with or without a postauricular incision for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). 
Methods: We studied 14 patients with PTC who underwent robotic SND via the transoral or combined transoral and postauricular approaches. 
Results: The transoral approach was performed on 10 patients for dissection of levels III and IV. An additional postauricular incision was made on 4 patients for dissection of level II in addition to levels III, IV, and V. The operation was completed successfully in 13 patients, except 1 patient with the procedure conversion due to uncontrolled bleeding from the internal jugular vein. The mean numbers of removed lymph nodes in the lateral compartment were 23.1 ± 9.4 and 38.3 ± 8.5 in the transoral and combined groups. Transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in 1 patient, transient hypoparathyroidism in 3 patients, and chyle leakage in 1 patient. There were no hematomas, mental nerve injuries, surgical space infections, or CO2 embolisms. 
Conclusion: Transoral robotic SND is feasible with or without a postauricular incision.