Is minimally invasive surgery appropriate for small differentiated thyroid carcinomas?

Purpose. To retrospectively evaluate the surgical completeness of minimally invasive total thyroidectomy for small (<20 mm) differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Methods. The subjects of this study were 30 patients who underwent minimally invasive total thyroidectomy as a single procedure. We registered the following postoperative measurements in the LT4 withdrawal period: serum thyroglobulin level, 6-h radioiodine uptake diagnostic test results, and neck ultrasound (US) fi ndings. Results. The mean serum thyroglobulin level was 4.99 ± 4.67 ng/ml, the mean radioiodine uptake diagnostic test after 6 h was 3.11% ± 2.90%, and US showed no thyroid remnant. Conclusions. The short-term outcome measures showed adequate resection of thyroid tissue, comparable with that reported after conventional surgery. Our fi ndings suggest that small nodules with suspicious or malignant cytology are one of the best indications for minimally invasive surgery. © Springer 2010.