Technical advance

The size criteria in minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy

Massimo Ruggieri¹ , Andrea Straniero¹ , Mariapia Genderini² , Massimino D'Armiento² , Angela Fumarola² , Pierpaolo Trimboli² and Patrizia Gargiulo³

¹Department of Surgery "Francesco Durante", University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy

²Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, Chair of Endocrinology, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy

³Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy

author email corresponding author email

BMC Surgery 2007, 7:2doi:10.1186/1471-2482-7-2

Published:	25 January 2007

Abstract

Background

Thyroid size is a very important criteria of MIVAT exclusion because the working space provided by the technique is limited.

The aim of this work has been to verify the suitability of MIVAT and its applicability in clinical practice, not only in patients with a thyroid volume up to 25 ml but also in patients with a thyroid volume included from 25 to 50 ml.

Methods

From January 2003 to February 2006, 33 patients have been selected for MIVAT. A completely gasless procedure was carried out through a central 20 to 35 mm skin incision performed "high" between the cricoid and jugular notch.

Results

The patients were separated in 2 groups. The first group (less than 25 ml) included 23 patients, the second group (from 25 to 50 ml) included 10 patients. The skin incision performed was from 20 to 25 mm (mean 23.61 mm ± 1.83) long in the first group and from 25 to 35 mm (mean 27.8 mm ± 2.20) long in the second one; this difference is significant (t test p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study suggest that the MIVAT using for thyroids bigger than 25 ml and up to 50 ml in volume is feasible and safe. This way allows more patients, excluded before, to take the advantages of minimally invasive approach.