When thyroid surgery becomes necessary, the operation performed on the thyroid gland depends on two major factors: the kind of thyroid disease present and the anatomy of the thyroid gland.
Conventional open surgery involves a scar on the neck. Robotic assisted thyroidectomy does not involve a neck incision, but rather a small 2-3 inch incision under the arm, avoiding scarring the neck. When deemed appropriate by the specialist, this less invasive option may be available to patients considering thyroid surgery, addressing their cultural and cosmetic concerns.
The da Vinci Surgical System/robotic assisted thyroidectomy is not for everyone. The procedure works best on those who:
- Are not overweight
- Have a smaller thyroid gland
- Have smaller nodules
With the assistance of the da Vinci Surgical System, surgeons can now operate using only small incisions with greater precision and control. The da Vinci robot assists the surgeon through the minimally invasive procedure.
This transaxillary thyroidectomy procedure is currently being performed at only a few US centers. Dr. Stickney has received special training and is performing this procedure at Swedish Hospital. For more information on robotic thyroid surgery, please call 206.860.2346.
Dr. Stickney discusses robotic thyroid surgery on KING 5 TV's Healthlink with Jean Enersen.
Visit Dr. Kathleen Stickney's bio