OBJECTIVETo establish new techniques on the control of vessel dividing and bleeding in minimally invasive video-assisted thyroid surgeries.

METHODSOne hundred and seventy volunteer patients with nodular goiter, adenoma and Graves' disease consecutively received the endoscopic thyroid operation according to Miccoli's mode from April 2002 to June 2003. The approach was designed to use ultrasonically activated scalpels [Harmonic Scalpel (R), Johnson & Johnson, USA] as a major, suction-dissector or others as supplementary instruments during the whole process. During the operations, two methods, "sequenced dissect-coagulate-cut" and "pre-coagulation + interlaced cut-suck-coagulate-dissect", were employed and separately evaluated for their safety or efficacy.

RESULTSAll of the procedures, except that 2 (their lesions were proven to be "cancer" by frozen section and need different treatment), were successfully completed. None of them were interrupted and converted to open surgery due to uncontrolled bleeding or severe postoperative hematoma. Branches of major thyroid vessels can be directly divided by ultrasonic scalpel without ligation or using hemoclips, supposing the technique of "sequenced dissect-coagulate-cut" method was strictly used. Bleeding during intra-gland dissection can be effectively controlled by the combined techniques of precoagulation of the vessels and the capsule vessel network near and around the incision, and then, by coordinating manipulation with a special multiple functional ultrasonic scalpel and a suction-dissector, supposing the technique of "interlaced cut-suck-coagulate-dissect" was properly employed.

CONCLUSIONSUsing ultrasonic scalpels as major, suction-dissector or others as supplementary instruments, manipulating cooperatively during the whole process, can be an ideal fashion in the site of a narrow gasless working space via a small single incision in anterio-inferior neck. And this may dramatically simplify the manipulation, and hence greatly reduce the operative difficulty. The reforms resolved two key technique problems in Miccoli's endoscopic operation: vessel-dividing and bleeding-control, therefore, laying a sound basis for the clinical application of this special approach.