Browsing by Author "Abt, Nicholas. B."

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    Transoral Robotic Thyroidectomy (TORT) and Robotic Facelift Thyroidectomy (RFT)
    (University of Cape Town, 2025-05-18) Abt, Nicholas. B.; Larson, Andrew. R.; Holcomb, Andrew. J.; Richmond, Jeremy. D,; Fagan, Johan
    There has been an evolution of various surgical approaches to thyroidectomy since the transcervical approach was adapted over 150 years ago. Both robotic and endoscopic techniques have been developed with access to the thyroid from the axilla, lateral neck, or oral cavity resulting in a hidden or less conspicuous scar 1–3. These approaches have been developed as the adverse effect of a cervical scar on quality of life has been better understood, particularly in young women. These effects are often compounded in patients with darker skins or those prone to hypertrophic scars or keloids. Central to pursuing any remote-access or “scarless” approach, there needs to be a compromise between minimal tissue disruption with a resultant visible scar (e.g. transcervical ap-proach) and extensive tissue disruption with a remote, hidden scar (e.g. remote access approach). One should keep in mind that the primary advantage of remote access thyroid surgery is to avoid a conspicuous neck scar.