Modified transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery for treatment of thyroid cancer: operative steps and video.

In this video we describe a kind of modified transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery involving meticulous dissection of mental nerve. Inclusion criteria are: the diameter of benign tumors such as thyroid cyst, nodular goiter were limited less than 50 mm; the malignant thyroid tumors including follicular and papillary microcarcinoma were defined as a papillary carcinoma <2 cm in diameter and endoscopic surgery required for the patient. A 6 cm arc-shaped incision was designed at oral vestibule. The branches of mental nerves at both sides were identified and exposed carefully. A 10 mm trocar was placed at the midpoint of the vestibule. Two 5 mm trocars were separately inserted into the vestibule at lateral or medial of the medial branches of the mental nerve. Thyroidectomy and central lymph node dissection was done fully endoscopically using conventional endoscopic instruments.