The application of lateral approach in the reoperation of thyroid tumor

Objective: To explore the application value of different approaches in the reoperation of thyroid. Methods: The clinical data of 85 thyroid tumor patients treated with reoperation were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into the middle approach group(38 cases,middle group) and lateral approach group(47 cases,lateral group) according to the surgical approach.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications between two groups were compared. Results: The mean operative time in lateral group(1.5±0.5)h was significantly shorter than that in middle group(2.0±0.5)h (P<0.01).The blood loss in lateral group(35.5±6.5)mLwas significantly less than that in middle group(55.8±8.7)mL(P<0.01).The overall incidence of postoperative complications in lateral group(17.03%) was lower than that in middle group(39.47%)(P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with the conventional middle approach,the lateral approach in the reoperation of thyroid tumor can help to shorten the operation time,and reduce the intraoperative blood loss and incidence of postoperative complications.