VIDEO ASSISTED NECK SURGERY: INDICATIONS AND OUTCOME

Aim: To study indications and the outcome of video assisted neck surgery in treatment of thyroid and 
parathyroid diseases. 
Methods: From Jan 2007 to June 2008; 30 cases of thyroid and parathyroid surgeries were carried out. All 
procedures were performed using video assisted neck surgery technique (VANS). Size of the gland was a 
determining factor in case selection. The study included three cases of parathyroid adenomas and twenty 
seven cases of thyroidectomies, one case underwent total thyroidectomy while 26 cases had thyroid 
lobectomy. The age of the patients ranged from 26 to 51 years with an average of 37.3+7.9 years and 70% 
were female. Twenty six cases were solitary thyroid nodule. One case was Graves’ disease where medical 
treatment was contraindicated. Three cases were parathyroid adenomas.
Results: Operative time ranged from 80 to 200 minutes with an average of 123.3+66.6 minutes. Patients were 
discharged on second postoperative day. Postoperative complications included transient recurrent laryngeal 
nerve palsy and keloid formation. Postoperative pain score was recorded.
Conclusions: VANS technique provided a minimally invasive procedure that helped patients to rapidly 
recover a successful neck surgery with a minimal scar.