Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33111192›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2021

Transoral robotic thyroidectomy versus transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy: a propensity-score-matched analysis of surgical outcomes.

Yu-Hsien Chen, Hoon-Yub Kim, Angkoon Anuwong, Ting-Shuo Huang, Quan-Yang Duh

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Surgical approaches to the management of the intrathoracic goiter - A systematic review.Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Learning Curves in Robotic Thyroid Surgery: A Systematic Review Comparing Transoral, Axillary, and Facelift Approaches.Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale
    Pooled it
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  15. Redo Thyroidectomy: Updated Insights.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Yu-Hsien ChenDepartment of General Surgery, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, No. 222, Maijin Rd., Anle Dist., Keelung City, 20401, Taiwan. yuhsien3755@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-9751-2250
Hoon-Yub KimDepartment of Surgery, KUMC Thyroid center, Korea University Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Angkoon AnuwongMinimally Invasive and Endocrine Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Police General Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Ting-Shuo HuangDepartment of General Surgery, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, No. 222, Maijin Rd., Anle Dist., Keelung City, 20401, Taiwan.
Quan-Yang DuhSection of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTransoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) has been shown to be safe and has similar outcomes as open thyroidectomy for selected patients. It is not clear if transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) may extend transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy to more complex thyroid operations. The study aimed to compare the safety and outcomes of TORT with those of TOETVA.

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed all patients who had TORT and TOETVA performed by a single surgeon from June 2017 to May 2019. Intrathoracic goiter and combined operations were excluded. Surgical outcomes were compared after propensity score matching. Learning curves, as measured by operating time, were evaluated.

resultsA total of 150 patients underwent 154 transoral (55 TORT and 99 TOETVA) thyroidectomy. Of the 154 operations, 28 (18.2%) were bilateral total thyroidectomy and 126 (81.8%) were unilateral thyroid lobectomy. After propensity score matching, we found a longer operative time (median [interquartile range]) for TORT (n = 53) than for the TOETVA (308 [284-388] vs 228 [201-267] min, P < 0.001). Blood loss and visual analog scale scores for pain were not significantly different between the two groups. Central neck lymph node dissection was performed more frequent in the TORT group (28 of 53 [52.8%] vs 10 of 53 [18.9%], P = 0.001), and when performed, the numbers of total and positive lymph nodes did not differ significantly between the two groups. The rates of hypoparathyroidism and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury did not differ significantly between the two groups. There was no conversion to open thyroidectomy, mental nerve injury, or surgical site infection. The learning curve for TORT was 25 cases, but no obvious learning curve was observed for TOETVA.

conclusionsTORT requires a longer operative time, but is as safe as TOETVA and may be useful for more complex thyroid operations.

Indexed as

Natural Orifice Endoscopic SurgeryRobotic Surgical ProceduresThyroidectomyHumansPropensity ScoreRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeTOETVATORTTransoral endoscopic thyroidectomyTransoral robotic thyroidectomy

Identifiers

PMID33111192

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.