College Station, Texas – For those with a thyroid tumor or a growth in their thyroid, the surgical procedure known as a thyroid lobectomy doesn’t have to mean a large scar across the neck anymore. A new procedure to help these patients is now being performed using the daVinci® Surgical System at College Station Medical Center (http://www.csmedcenter.com) in College Station, Texas. Ronald B. Kuppersmith, M.D., FACS, and Andrew deJong, M.D. of The Texas Institute for Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery (http://www.roboticthyroid.com), are performing the robotic-assisted endoscopic thyroid lobectomy which eliminates neck scars by approaching the thyroid through an incision under the arm.
Since the first such procedure at this facility in early June, patients have taken advantage of this surgical technique, which is cosmetically more appealing because scars from traditional surgery can be as large as three to four inches in length and located just above the collarbone.
In addition to the cosmetic benefits, the daVinci Surgical Robot offers superior visualization and instrumentation compared to traditional surgery, allowing a complete and safe dissection of the thyroid gland. Currently, patients with thyroid nodules less than 4 cm in diameter and small papillary thyroid carcinomas may be candidates for this procedure.
“The ability to use the daVinci robot for thyroid surgery potentially represents a great step forward in patient care, provides new options for patients and will allow for the procedure to be conducted without leaving unattractive scarring on the neck,” says Dr. Kuppersmith.
In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Kuppersmith serves as the President-Elect of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-
