At the University Hospital of Zurich (USZ), thyroid surgeries were performed using a robot-assisted approach for the first time in Switzerland. This method combines the highest precision with a cosmetic benefit: the small incisions required are made outside the neck area.
In this new surgical technique, access to the thyroid gland is gained through small incisions at the upper edge of the nipples and in the armpits. The procedure was introduced at the USZ by a team led by Chief Physician PD Dr. med. Diana Vetter, in collaboration with Francesca Da Canal from the Department of Visceral and Transplant Surgery, and has already been performed on several patients.
No incision in the neck and no visible scar
Unlike traditional thyroid surgery, the new method does not require an incision in the neck. The incisions are made outside the visible neck area, so no visible scar remains on the neck. “This is a major benefit for patients,” says PD Dr. med. Diana Vetter, Chief of General and Endocrine Surgery at the USZ. “Otherwise, the basic principles of the procedure are the same as those for open thyroid surgery.”
Robotic surgery offers the highest precision in confined spaces
Robotic assistance offers additional technical advantages. The surgeons work with a highly magnified three-dimensional view and can control the instruments with extreme precision. When operating in a confined space—and especially during the challenging dissection around the recurrent laryngeal nerve, as well as when protecting the parathyroid glands and their blood supply—an optimal field of view is of great importance.
Innovative Thyroid Surgery at the USZ
The implementation of the method at the USZ is the result of a targeted international knowledge transfer. To bring this innovative surgical approach to Zurich, the female surgeons at the USZ worked closely with leading experts from South Korea. This East Asian country is considered a pioneer in the development of minimally invasive approaches for thyroid surgery. Diana Vetter and Francesca Da Canal also learned the technique in Asia. For the first procedures, Professor Jin Wook Yi and his team from AIN Hospital in Incheon traveled to Zurich to assist with the surgeries.
With the introduction of the new surgical approach, the USZ is expanding its range of robot-assisted surgical procedures.
