OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficiency, feasibility and safety of gasless endoscopic thyroid surgery through compared research.

METHODSFrom July 2001 to Oct. 2005, 83 cases that had received gasless endoscopic thyroid surgery were compared with 80 cases that had received conventional surgery and analyzed on operating time, blood loss, cosmetic effects, complications and costs.

RESULTSCompared with conventional thyroid surgery, endoscopic thyroid surgery group had better cosmetic effects. There was only minimal neck wound or even no neck wound. The cost of hospitalization in the endoscopic group was higher than that in the conventional group (10,844 +/- 2373) RMB and (7585 +/- 1081) RMB respectively (t = -7.23, P < 0.001). The endoscopic group had less blood loss than the conventional group (25 +/- 21) ml and (36 +/- 23) ml respectively (t = 3.160, P < 0.01), but had longer operating time (107 +/- 30) min and(79 +/- 19) min respectively (t = -7.225, P < 0.01). However, when the surgeon had got more experiences and applied the advanced harmonic scalpel, the operative time and blood loss reduced obviously.

CONCLUSIONSCompared with conventional thyroid surgery, gasless endoscopic thyroid surgery has the major advantage that it has cosmetic effect and has small or no scar left on neck. It can be concluded that this technique was efficiency, feasibility and safety. It can offer another choice for the thyroid neoplasms patients.