Long-term sensory disturbance and discomfort after robotic thyroidectomy.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare short-term and long-term sensory disturbance and discomfort after robotic thyroidectomy versus conventional open thyroidectomy.

Methods: We compared 118 patients who underwent robotic thyroidectomy by a gasless unilateral axillobreast (GUAB) or axillary (GUA) approach with 176 patients who underwent conventional open thyroidectomy from April 2009 to June 2011. Postoperative hypesthesia/paresthesia and discomfort of the neck and anterior chest were evaluated regularly for 1.5 years using a questionnaire with a scale from 0 to 4.

Results: There were no differences in neck discomfort or hypesthesia/paresthesia between the two groups. Neck discomfort and hypesthesia/paresthesia returned to preoperative levels by postoperative years 1.0 and 1.5, respectively, in both groups. Anterior chest discomfort and paresthesia/hypesthesia were higher in the robotic group than the open group. They returned to preoperative levels by postoperative year 1 in the robotic group and within 3 months in the open group.

Conclusions: Long-term sensory disturbance and discomfort of the neck does not differ between robotic thyroidectomy and conventional open thyroidectomy. However, anterior chest discomfort and sensory disturbance are greater and require longer times to recover after robotic thyroidectomy. Minimizing dissection of the anterior chest should be considered to reduce discomfort and sensory disturbance after robotic thyroidectomy by a GUAB/GUA approach.