Endoscopic thyroidectomy via breast approach versus conventional open thyroidectomy for benign thyroid tumor: a retrospective study        ZHAO Xia, ZHANG Neng-wei, ZHU Bin, et al. Center of Laparoscopic Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Beijing 100038, China
Corresponding author:ZHANG Neng-wei,E-mail:zhangnw1@sohu.com
Abstract    Objective    To explore the safety and feasibility of endoscopic thyroidectomy via breast approach. Methods The clinical data of 275 patients with benign thyroid tumor admitted between December 2005 and October 2009 at Beijing Shijitan Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Results    One hundred and twenty-four patients underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy (endoscopy group) and 151 patients underwent conventional open thyroidectomy (open group).There was no significant difference in the postoperative hospital stay, volume of drainage and the analgesic requirements between two groups. Blood loss was significantly less in endoscopy group than that in open group（24.52±9.87）mL vs（39.67±25.88）mL (P< 0.05), but operative time was longer in endoscopy group than that in open group (127.66±34.83) min vs (95.17±29.86) min (P<0.05). The cost of hospitalization in endoscopy group was higher than that in open group. The degree of satisfaction for cosmetic outcome in endoscopy group was higher than that in open group（8.94±0.81）vs (5.74±1.61) (P< 0.05). No severe postoperative complication was encountered, such as massive hemorrhage, injuries of the recurrent or superior laryngeal nerve, or parathyroid gland injury. Conclusion    Endoscopic thyroidectomy has mini-open, less blood loss and excellent cosmetic benefits. Endoscopic thyroidectomy is feasible and safe for thyroid disease.