Vol.102 No.8 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 102 No. 8 August 2009
A Review of 10 Cases of Video-assisted Neck Surgery (VANS) and
Introduction of a New Method: Skin Lifting Axillary Approach
Hidenori Kinsenn
(Fukui Prefectural Hospital)
Tomokazu Yoshizaki
(Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science)
From July 2006 to October 2007, we performed video-assisted neck surgery (VANS) via a subclavicular approach in 10 patients with thyroid tumor. Seven had benign follicular tumor, and three had papillary carcinoma. All cases underwent hemithyroidectomy. One case of papillary carcinoma underwent additional central neck dissection (D1). The mean operating time was 207 min, and the mean blood loss was 70 ml. Transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was noted. However, postoperative bleeding was not observed. To improve the esthetic outcome, we applied a new method: a skin lifting axillary approach. We applied this method to a 27-year-old female patient with benign follicular tumor showing no postoperative complications. The axillary scar was not visible when the ipsilateral arm was in its natural position. This new method is a feasible procedure with esthetic benefits, and may offer a practical alternative for patients requiring sugical removal of the thyroid gland.
Key words :VANS, skin liftig, axillary approach