Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41372527›Full record

SynthesisEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026

Postoperative pain outcomes following thyroidectomy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of various surgical approaches.

Van Cuong Nguyen, Chang Myeon Song, Yong Bae Ji, Shinje Moon, Jung Hwan Park, Jonathon O Russell, Gregory W Randolph, Kyung Tae

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

8 authors.

Van Cuong NguyenThang Long Institute of Mathematics and Applied Sciences, Thang Long University, Hanoi, Vietnam.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0836-3020
Chang Myeon SongDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5267-0135
Yong Bae JiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0182-7865
Shinje MoonDepartment of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3298-3630
Jung Hwan ParkDepartment of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3941-4836
Jonathon O RussellRussell Center for Endocrine Health, Columbia, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2903-9649
Gregory W RandolphDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5373-9181
Kyung TaeDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea. kytae@hanyang.ac.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0382-2072

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRemote-access thyroidectomy techniques and minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) have been developed to optimize cosmetic outcomes and potentially improve recovery, particularly in the case of MIVAT, compared with the conventional transcervical approach (CTA). However, comparative evidence regarding postoperative pain outcomes remains limited. This study aims to evaluate postoperative pain outcomes among MIVAT and five remote-access approaches-breast approach (BA), bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA), gasless transaxillary approach (GTAA), retroauricular approach (RA), and transoral approach (TOA)-in comparison with CTA.

methodsA systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted. PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched through March 2025. Pain outcomes across surgical approaches were compared using a frequentist random-effects network meta-analysis.

resultsSixty-one studies involving 9,780 patients were included. On postoperative day one, MIVAT was associated with the lowest pain scores, followed by the BA and TOA. At one-week and one-month follow-ups, MIVAT and TOA consistently exhibited the most favorable pain outcomes. Conversely, the RA and BABA were linked to the highest pain scores on day one and at one week. Differences in postoperative pain between robotic and endoscopic techniques within the same approach were not significant, although robotic RA and robotic TOA showed lower pain scores than those of their endoscopic counterparts.

conclusionMIVAT and TOA provide superior postoperative pain outcomes than those of CTA and other remote-access approaches. Robotic techniques may offer additional benefits over endoscopic methods in selected cases. These findings may support more patient-centered surgical decision-making.

Indexed as

Postoperative PainThyroidectomyVideo-Assisted SurgeryHumansNetwork Meta-Analysis as TopicPain MeasurementTreatment OutcomeEndoscopic thyroidectomyNetwork meta-analysisPain outcomesRemote-access thyroidectomyRobotic thyroidectomySystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41372527

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.