Lumpectomy versus robotic surgery
Traditional open surgery has a long incision and is located in the neck, with significant surgical scarring that affects the appearance. In recent years, minimally invasive, even incisionless lumpectomy and robotic surgery in the neck have been increasingly used. If you would like to learn more about this new surgical modality, click below:
Intraoperative protection
There are many vital organs around the thyroid gland, such as the parathyroid glands and the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which, if injured, may cause lifelong pain.
Scientists have developed a number of intraoperative protection techniques to minimize the chances of injury.
Nanocarbon
The parathyroid glands are only about the size of a green bean to a soybean and fit snugly on the back of the thyroid gland, making them extremely vulnerable to damage during thyroid surgery.
Carbon nanoparticles are small nanoscale molecules that can enter the capillary lymphatics but not the capillaries. The macrophages in our body will in turn swallow it up. The combination of capillary lymphatic vessels and macrophages allows the carbon nanoparticles to collect in the lymph nodes and “blacken” the lymph nodes around the thyroid, but not the parathyroid glands, making it easier for the doctor to see them and reduce the chance of damage.
Intraoperative nerve monitoring technology
The recurrent laryngeal nerve travels close to the back of the thyroid gland and is easily damaged during surgery. Intraoperative injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve can cause hoarseness and, in severe cases, even respiratory distress or even asphyxia in patients. Therefore, intraoperative monitoring of the integrity of the recurrent laryngeal nerve is necessary.
Intraoperative monitoring of the function of the recurrent laryngeal nerve using electromyography can reduce the rate of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve to 0% to 0.6%.
In addition, nerve monitoring techniques can be used to monitor and protect nerves that are prone to injury during thyroid surgery, such as the vagus nerve and superior laryngeal nerve.
Both of these techniques are already in use in the clinic. However, they are not mandatory. For experienced surgeons, it is possible to protect the parathyroid glands and nerves well intraoperatively without relying on these techniques.
Co-written by Dr. Jiaqian Hu, Cancer Hospital of Fudan University