Thyroid Options
Many patients with diseased thyroids have two safe, effective treatment options that can dramatically reduce the size of their neck incisions and speed recovery, researchers say.
Options include minimally invasive thyroidectomy, in which surgeons work through an incision about half the size of the norm, and an endoscopic approach, in which video monitoring and a thin, ultrasonic scalpel reduce incision size another half.
“Both
work well; both have a place in a usual practice,” said Dr. David J. Terris,
chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and lead author
on research looking at the safety and efficacy of the newer approaches published
in the March issue of Laryngoscope.
The online edition also features accompanying surgery video for the first time. Dr. Terris hopes the video of the endoscopic approach will be a good first step for physicians interested in adopting these techniques. Practice on cadavers as well as observing the surgery first-hand are two important additional steps, he said.