Cervicoscopy

The beginning of cervicoscopy dates back to the first laparoscopic parathyroidectomy in 1996. This operation, with its distinct variants, has today become a valid therapeutic option in many well-regarded centers. Later on endoscopic or video-assisted thyroidectomy was introduced, despite the limits imposed by the large size of the gland on its removal. Consequently, this technique is indicated in a small number of patients but both parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy provide significant advantages over conventional surgery, which have been demonstrated in prospective studies. The main advantages are a better cosmetic outcome and a less distressing postoperative course. Both approaches have been proved to be safe and feasible in any surgical background and their complication rate is similar to that of traditional open surgery of the neck. Videoscopic access to neck lymph nodes (central and lateral compartments) seems to be highly promising, whereas other fields of application such as carotid artery surgery and spine surgery are still the object of experimental studies. Consequently, cervicoscopy should be considered an important surgical tool which already shows great possibilities but which could be further improved.     

Update on endoscopic cervical surgery

The onset of cervicoscopy dates back to the first laparoscopic parathyroidectomy in 1996. This operation, with its several variants, has today become a valid option that is widespread in many centers. Endoscopic or video-assisted thyroidectomy was introduced later, despite the limits imposed by the mass of the gland to be removed. Even though it was indicated for a minority of patients for this reason, both parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy showed some important advantages with respect to conventional surgery, advantages that were also demonstrated in prospective studies that include a better cosmetic outcome and a less distressful postoperative course. These approaches proved to be safe and feasible in any surgical background, and their complication rate is the same as traditional open neck surgery. The videoscopic access to neck lymph nodes (central and lateral compartments) seems to be very promising, whereas other fields of application such as carotid artery surgery and spine surgery are still being studied experimentally. Cervicoscopy by consequence has to be considered an important surgical tool that can be further improved but which also has an excellent potential.     

免充气经口腔镜甲状腺癌根治术的临床研究

背景与目的 经口腔镜甲状腺手术由于是经自然腔道手术,体表无疤痕,中央区淋巴结清扫无视野盲区,经临床推广至今,受到广大医生及患者的欢迎。但传统的经口腔镜采用CO₂充气的方法维持手术操作空间,空间小,容易产生烟雾,影响视野,并且,相对于其他入路,经口腔镜更容易出现CO₂相关并发症。因此,采用免充气的方法进行手术可能是更好的选择。为此,本中心设计了一种新的方法—经皮悬吊三孔免充气经口腔镜技术进行甲状腺癌手术,经过不断改良后,此项技术趋于成熟。本文通过回顾性分析,探讨此项技术的可行性与安全性,以期为临床决策提供参考。方法 回顾性分析2020年10月—2022年3月在中国科学技术大学附属第一医院西区（安徽省肿瘤医院）头颈肿瘤外科接受免充气经口腔镜甲状腺癌手术患者的临床资料。术中采用自制悬吊拉钩、改良穿刺器进行手术。结果 共纳入106例甲状腺乳头状癌患者,男11例,女95例;平均年龄（35.5±8.1）岁;单侧甲状腺切除91例、甲状腺全切除15例;行中央区淋巴结清扫106例、行侧颈淋巴结择区清扫7例。单纯腔镜甲状腺手术时间（163.9±49.1）min,腔镜甲状腺手术联合侧颈淋巴结清扫时间（331.0±103.9）min。术后中央区淋巴结清扫数（8.6±6.1）枚,单侧侧颈淋巴结清扫数（19.4±7.6）枚。术后住院（5.4±1.4）d。术后一过性发音嘶哑1例、淋巴漏1例,无术后出血、感染、永久性颏神经损伤等并发症发生。结论 免充气经口腔镜技术无CO2相关并发症,采用自制悬吊拉钩可以维持足够的手术操作空间,应用改良的穿刺器减少了器械干扰,增加了腔镜吸引器便于手术操作。     

经口入路腔镜甲状腺手术的现状及展望

经口入路腔镜甲状腺手术（TOET）是一种经自然腔道的腔镜手术（NOTES）。2008年Witzel等首次在新鲜尸体和活体猪上完成经口底入路的腔镜甲状腺手术尝试，国内王存川教授则首次在国际上提出了三孔经口腔前庭的腔镜甲状腺手术（TOETVA）技术。这也是目前应用最广泛的TOET入路方式，其主要优势是对口底的结构损伤少，器械操作也较灵活；体表完全无疤痕，根治疾病的同时，能满足美容和隐私保护的双重需求。TOETVA拥有从上而下视角，由于其天然的视角优势，解决了中央区低位淋巴结清扫的问题。因此，TOETVA是分化型甲状腺癌合并中央区淋巴结转移病例的优选术式。自2013年该术式诞生，中国国内首先开始发展，2015年多个中心开始尝试，到目前为止，国内已经有数百家单位可以开展此术式。TOETVA的技术要点和难点主要包括：空间的建立与维持、喉返神经的显露与保护、甲状旁腺辨认及功能保留、淋巴结清扫。相比经胸前入路，TOET有更长的学习曲线，一般需要40～50例操作才能克服，同开放手术和其他入路的无瘢痕腔镜甲状腺手术比较，除了常规出血、神经损伤、旁腺损伤、皮瓣损伤等并发症外，尚有以下特殊的并发症，包括：颏...     

Video-assisted endocrine neck surgery: state of the art

During the last two decades, several minimally invasive approaches for endocrine neck surgery have been developed. Minimally invasive video-assisted approaches (minimally invasive video-assisted parathyroidectomy and minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy) gained a quite large worldwide diffusion, maybe because these techniques combine the advantages related to the endoscopic magnification with those due to the close similarity with the conventional surgery that makes these surgical approaches reproducible and feasible in different surgical settings. Several comparative studies have demonstrated the advantages of minimally invasive video-assisted neck surgery in terms of reduced postoperative pain, better cosmetic result, and higher patients’ satisfaction over the conventional endocrine neck surgery. An accurate patients’ selection plays a key role to ensure the success of minimally invasive video-assisted approaches. To date, in selected cases and in experienced Center, minimally invasive video-assisted endocrine neck surgery could be considered the standard treatment or at least a safe and effective surgical option.     

经锁骨下入路行腔镜辅助甲状腺手术：附62例报告

目的探讨经锁骨下入路腔镜辅助甲状腺切除的手术方法及价值。方法对62例甲状腺腺瘤、甲状腺肿、甲状腺功能亢进、甲状腺癌等实施了经锁骨下入路的腔镜辅助下甲状腺手术。结果令组均手术成功，无中转开放手术，前25例平均手术时间为（120±32）min，后37例平均手术时间（50±13．3）min。术后住院时间（4±0．5）d。术后皮下积血2例，无声嘶，无饮水呛咳，无手足麻木等并发症；术后恢复良好。术后6个月随访62例患者，颈部皮肤感觉接近止常，颈部外形基本正常。结论论锁骨下入路腔镜下甲状腺于术具有无颈部疤痕、美容效果好、恢复快，易掌握。     

Minimally invasive video-assisted functional lateral neck dissection for metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma

Functional lateral neck dissection requires a large incision providing adequate exposure of the surgical field. We evaluated the feasibility of minimally invasive video-assisted functional lateral neck dissection (VALNED) in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Low-risk PTC patients with lateral neck metastases <2 cm, in absence of any evidence of great vessels involvement, were considered eligible. After accomplishing total thyroidectomy and central neck clearance, dissection was performed under endoscopic vision by using a technique very similar to conventional surgery through the single 4-cm skin incision used for thyroidectomy. Two patients were selected: 1 underwent bilateral and 1 unilateral VALNED. The mean number of the removed nodes was 25 per side. Both patients experienced transient postoperative hypocalcemia. No other complication occurred. No evidence of residual or recurrent disease was found at follow-up. VALNED is feasible, and the results are encouraging. For definitive conclusions, larger series and comparative studies are necessary.     

甲状腺癌外科治疗术式选择

甲状腺结节是外科医生最常见的甲状腺疾病,其中有5．0％～15．0％最终会诊断为甲状腺癌。如果针吸活检后病理结果提示为阳性或高度怀疑为恶性肿瘤,则外科手术是必须的。在过去十年中,外科医生为了追求切口小型化和创伤最小化,将腔镜技术引入到甲状腺手术中,统称为“甲状腺微创手术”,包括颈部小切口甲状腺手术、腔镜辅助下小切口甲状腺手术,简称Miccoli术式,和颈部无瘢痕存留的全腔镜下甲状腺手术,以及最近开展的机器人辅助下全腔镜甲状腺手术。所有这些手术方式都必须遵循相同的肿瘤外科手术操作原则。本文列举了目前国内关于分化型甲状腺癌的术式选择,同时还列举了国内外各种主流手术方法,并说明其优缺点,以期望对临床工作有所帮助。     

Current topics of endoscopic surgery for thyroid cancer

Endoscopic surgery has been introduced in the field of thyroid disease. Endoscopic thyroid surgery is divided into complete endoscopic surgery using CO2 gas, which is approached from the axilla, mammary areola, and anterior chest; and video-assisted thyroid surgery without CO2 gas, approached from the neck or anterior chest under the clavicula through a small incision. Many thyroid tumors are benign, and cases of thyroid cancer are few. Only 7.9% of patients who underwent endoscopic thyroid surgery in the English and Japanese literature had papillary thyroid cancer. Most of these underwent video-assisted thyroidectomy without gas. The indications for endoscopic surgery in papillary thyroid cancer is microcancer or small tumor without lympnode metastasis before surgery. In follicular thyroid cancer, minimally invasive thyroid cancer of less than 5cm is recommended for endoscopic thyroid surgery. Furthermore, in medullary carcinoma with multiple endocrine neoplasia, prophylactic thyroidectomy can be performed using these endoscopic techniques. At present, it is still controversial whether endoscopic surgery should be performed to treat thyroid cancer.     

cT1N0甲状腺癌全乳晕入路腔镜手术与开放手术对比研究

目的探讨腔镜手术对甲状腺癌的治疗能否达到与开放手术同等的效果。方法选择2016年3月至2017年10月间首都医科大学附属北京友谊医院普通外科收治的、分期cT1N0、女性、年龄≤60岁、无颈部手术史、有美容愿望的患者44例进行全乳晕入路腔镜手术治疗。随机选择同等条件的50例开放手术作为对照。观察两组手术完成情况、并发症、淋巴结清扫率及住院时间等情况。结果手术时间腔镜手术组(170.0±28.0)min长于开放手术组(90.0±21.0)min(t=15.610,P=0.000)。术中出血量腔镜手术组(5.8±8.7)ml与开放手术组(4.8±5.6)ml差异无统计学意义(t=0.668,P=0.506)。喉返神经损伤腔镜手术组1/44例与开放手术组1/50例差异无统计学意义(χ^2=0.000,P=0.927)。甲状旁腺功能减退腔镜手术组7/44例与开放手术组4/50例差异无统计学意义(χ^2=1.417,P=0.234)。腔镜手术组与开放手术组均无淋巴漏、感染发生。清扫气管旁+气管前淋巴结数量腔镜手术组(6.0±4.2)枚与开放手术组(5.5±3.7)枚差异无统计学意义(t=0.692,P=0.491)。清扫喉前淋巴结数量腔镜手术组(0.7±1.1)枚与开放手术组(0.5±0.9)枚差异无统计学意义(t=1.186,P=0.239)。结论全乳晕入路腔镜手术治疗甲状腺癌安全可靠,颈中央区淋巴结清扫充分,可作为cT1N0甲状腺癌病例手术方式的选择。     

Endoscopic lateral neck dissection via breast approach for papillary thyroid carcinoma: a preliminary report

Background  

Traditional open surgery for lateral neck dissection for patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) requires a large incision to obtain adequate exposure of the surgical field, leaving an unsightly scar. We applied scarless (in the neck) endoscopic thyroidectomy (SET) via breast approach to lateral neck dissection for PTC and evaluated its feasibility and safety.     

Life threatening presentation of thoracic duct injury post thyroid surgery; a case report

BackgroundInjury to thoracic duct is a rare potential complication of time-honored conventional thyroidectomy. Nevertheless, it can be a cause of significant morbidity, and sometimes life-threatening.Patient findingsA 78-year-old female patient with a previous surgical history of thyroid lobectomy for nodular disease presented with primary hyperparathyroidism, and a nodule in the remaining thyroid lobe. The patient underwent completion thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. Less than 24 h post operatively, the patient developed progressive shortness of breath and neck swelling requiring immediate intubation and re-exploration. A large amount of chyle was drained and an injured thoracic duct was identified and ligated.SummaryIn experienced hands thyroid surgery is safe. Nevertheless, factors such as the type of pathology and its extent, the level of surgery, and re-operative surgery increase the risk of postoperative complications. Immediate surgical exploration is necessary when patients present with neck swelling and respiratory distress. In our case, a high output chyle leak in a confined space was life threatening.ConclusionTimely re-exploration following thyroid surgery and thorough knowledge of the anatomy of neck structures is crucial in sparing patients potential morbidity and/or mortality.     

内镜下甲状腺、甲状旁腺切除手术

目的 探讨开展内镜下甲状腺、甲状旁腺切除手术的意义。方法 查阅国外有关内镜下甲状腺、甲状旁腺切除手术的文献并加以综述。结果 甲状腺、甲状旁腺切除手术可以完全在内镜下或者以内镜作为辅助手段来完成。结论 内镜下甲状腺、甲状旁腺切除手术颈部不残留手术瘢痕，提高患者的生活质量。     

Endoscopic thyroid resection using cutaneous elevation in lieu of insufflation

Background. Laparoscopic surgery to resect cervical masses has gained increasing acceptance during the past decade. This report describes the authors' technique and experience using total video endoscopic surgery to resect thyroid masses. Methods. The video camera is introduced through a 12-mm trocar inserted via a 10-mm infraclavicular incision in the sternal line. This incision will be hidden by the patient's undergarments postoperatively. An incision for a 12-mm trocar is made in each axilla, with additional incisions in the anterior chest made as necessary for the endoscope and instruments. Excellent exposure is produced by elevating the skin with hooks rather than by using carbon dioxide insufflation. This method reduces the incidence of subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum. Results. Twenty-two thyroid lesions were resected using total video endoscopic surgery (adenoma, 13; cancer, 5; benign cyst, 3; and Graves' disease, 1). Procedures included thyroidectomy (12), thyroidectomy and isthmusectomy (4), and subtotal thyroidectomy (2). Subtotal cervical adenectomy was performed in 3 patients with papillary carcinoma. Cosmetic results were excellent. Conclusion. Endoscopic surgery of the neck is safe, minimally invasive, and produces excellent cosmetic results. However, it is in an early stage of development. Techniques have yet to be standardized, and specialized instruments are not available. The field is likely to mature as surgeons gain more experience.     

腔镜与开放甲状腺手术的疗效分析

目的：探讨经胸乳入路行腔镜甲状腺手术的临床价值及手术方法。方法：回顾分析2010年1月至2013年6月为39例患者行腔镜下经胸乳入路甲状腺手术（实验组）的临床资料,并与同期开展的36例开放甲状腺手术（对照组）进行对比分析。结果：两组患者手术时间、术中出血量、切口引流量、颈部瘢痕增生等差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;两组住院时间、并发症发生率差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。两组患者均未出现甲亢危象、喉返神经、喉上神经损伤、甲状旁腺损伤等严重并发症。结论：腔镜下经胸乳入路甲状腺手术的操作时间较开放手术长,术中、术后出血较开放手术多,但仍是较安全、有效的术式,且美容效果良好。在患者有美容要求的情况下,有条件的医院可选择性开展。     

Endoscopic endocrine surgery in the neck

Background: The fervor surrounding minimally invasive surgery, which began with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the late 1980s, has spread to nearly all surgical specialties. Methods: After experimental success in an animal model, we recently performed our first case of endoscopic subtotal parathyroidectomy in a 37-year-old man. The patient, who had a history of severe pancreatitis and pancreatic calculi, was diagnosed as having hyperparathyroidism. The option of endoscopic parathyroidectomy was proposed and accepted. After placing the first trocar directly under the platysma, a space was created by bluntly dissecting with the tip of a 5-mm endoscopic camera. Four parathyroid glands were identified, and after a frozen-section diagnosis of parathyroid hyperplasia, three-and-one-half of the glands were resected. Results: The patient developed slight hypercarbia and subcutaneous emphysema during the procedure, but no other problems were noted. His postoperative course was otherwise unremarkable. Conclusions: This is the first case reported of an endoscopic parathyroidectomy. This experience makes us optimistic about the future of endoscopic neck surgery. Received: 3 April 1997/Accepted: 6 August 1997     

Minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery is not a question of length of the incision

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative cosmesis in the neck is often a major concern of patients, particularly women, undergoing thyroid or parathyroid surgery. Therefore, a reduction in the length of the cervical incision, and even more so, having no scar in the neck, is particularly appealing to these patients. Over the last years, many different so-called minimally invasive procedures have been proposed for the treatment of thyroid and parathyroid diseases, the primary aim being to improve the cosmetic results. Nevertheless, the concept of surgical invasiveness cannot be limited to the length or to the site of the skin incision. It must be extended to all structures dissected during the procedure. Therefore, minimally invasive thyroidectomy or minimally invasive parathyroidectomy should properly be defined as operations through a short, less than 3 cm, and discrete incision that permits direct access to the thyroid or parathyroid gland, resulting in a focused dissection. In addition, type of anesthesia, duration of the operation, postoperative pain, complication and success rates, and long-term outcome should also be taken into account to assess surgical invasiveness. CONCLUSION: Thyroid and parathyroid operations that minimize the incision but keep it in the neck may be considered minimally invasive not only in respect of the size of the skin incision but also, and above all, in respect of the accessibility of the operative field and extent of dissection. These operations have some advantages over conventional cervicotomy in terms of postoperative pain and cosmetic results. Until now, there is no evidence to state that morbidity of these new approaches is at least equal to the conventional equivalent. Operations that employ an extracervical approach, which have the advantage of leaving no scar in the neck, cannot reasonably be described as minimally invasive, as they require more dissection than conventional open surgery.     

Inadvertent parathyroidectomy during thyroid surgery: the incidence of a complication of thyroidectomy

Background and aims Incidental parathyroidectomy is a complication of thyroid surgery. The aim of this report is to explore the incidence, risk factors, and clinical relevance of inadvertent parathyroidectomy during thyroidectomy.Materials and methods Patients who underwent thyroidectomy between January 1998 and June 2005 were evaluated. Pathology reports were reviewed for the presence of parathyroid tissue in the thyroidectomy specimens. Information regarding diagnosis, operative details, and postoperative hypocalcemia were collected.Results Three hundred and fifteen thyroid procedures were performed: 163 total thyroidectomies, 124 near-total thyroidectomies, and 28 lobectomies. The findings were benign in 240 and malignant in 75 cases. Incidental parathyroidectomy was found in 68 (21.6%) cases: 58 were benign and 10 were malignant. One and two parathyroids were accidentally removed in 46 and 22 patients, respectively. Parathyroid tissue was found in intrathyroidal (33%) and extracapsular (27%) sites. Total/near-total thyroidectomy was not associated with increased risk of incidental parathyroidectomy (P=0.646), and there was no association of inadvertent parathyroidectomy with postoperative hypocalcemia (P=0.859). Thyroid malignancy was associated with decreased incidence of incidental parathyroidectomy (P=0.047).Conclusion Inadvertent parathyroidectomy, although not uncommon, is not associated with postoperative hypocalcemia. The type of surgical procedure does not increase the risk of incidental parathyroidectomy, while thyroid malignancy may reduce the incidence of inadvertent parathyroidectomy.     

Surgery for sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism: controversies and evidence-based approach

Introduction Sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism is due to single adenoma in over 90–95% of instances. Careful medical history and precise preoperative identification of the enlarged gland by parathyroid Tc-mibi scintigraphy and neck ultrasound allow selecting patients for minimally invasive parathyroidectomy, a focused intervention with minimal skin opening and tissue dissection. Small (<300 mg) adenomas continue to challenge preoperative imaging, and most of them will still require a bilateral exploration. Conclusion Surgery should never be indicated on the basis of positive or negative preoperative localization studies. Intraoperative quick parathyroid hormone measurements seem particularly helpful for cases with equivocal localization studies. The best minimal access approach is still a matter of debate, and options include small central incision, video-assisted parathyroidectomy, minimal lateral open approach, and purely endoscopic access via lateral approach. Radioguided surgery does not seem to have a role in routine cases but may be useful to find adenomas during reintervention on scarred difficult surgical fields.     

Extracervical approaches to endoscopic thyroid surgery

There is increasing demand for surgical procedures which avoid visible scars while maintaining optimal functional and ideal cosmetic results, without compromising the safety or effectiveness of the procedure. Endoscopic techniques have been adapted to abdominal and pelvic surgery and increasingly employed over the past three decades. Although hampered by the absence of a natural cavity, endoscopic techniques have been adapted to surgery in the neck for the past 15 years, particularly for the thyroid gland. While earlier attempts at endoscopic thyroid surgery were performed through incisions in or near the midline of the neck, recent techniques have been developed to place the incisions and endoscopic ports extracervically, or at least away from the midline region of the neck, rendering the cosmetic result more acceptable. Most of these approaches are through the axilla, breast, chest wall or a combination of approaches. Visualization of the thyroid and rate of complications with these approaches are equal to those attained with older endoscopic approaches. Careful patient selection is important for endoscopic surgery. Complications unique to the endoscopic approach are mostly related to insufflation of cervical tissues with pressurized CO₂.