Patient-reported swallowing outcomes after transoral robotic thyroidectomy: Comparison with conventional transcervical thyroidectomy.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the swallowing outcomes after transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) and compare them with those of conventional transcervical thyroidectomy.

Method: We enrolled 146 patients who underwent thyroidectomy (73 TORT; 73 conventional approach). We prospectively analyzed swallowing outcomes using the Swallowing Impairment Index-6 (SIS-6) questionnaire, a patient-reported measure, before and 1, 3, and 6 days; 1, 3, and 6 months; and 1 year after surgery. Propensity score-matched analysis was performed using three covariates: age, sex, and extent of thyroidectomy.

Results: SIS-6 scores worsened significantly immediately after surgery and progressively recovered 1 year postoperatively in both groups. Propensity score matching generated two matched groups of 22 patients each. In the propensity score-matched samples, the SIS-6 scores did not differ between the TORT and conventional groups, except at 1 day postoperatively.

Conclusion: Patient-reported swallowing outcomes of TORT were comparable to those of the conventional transcervical procedure.