Robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy: surgical technique.

Robot-assisted transaxillary thyroid surgery avoids the need for a neck incision. It consists of thyroid lobectomy and isthmectomy for moderately large unilateral benign nodules. The surgical imperatives are the same as for conventional surgery, but with differences in terms of patient positioning, surgical incision, equipment, surgical technique and indications. The purpose of this article is to describe the equipment, patient positioning and surgical technique of exclusive robot-assisted transaxillary total thyroid lobectomy and isthmectomy.