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Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of left central lymph node dissection (CLND) in endoscopic thyroidectomy via chest-breast approach (ETCB). Methods. Retrospective analysis of 57 cases of left CLND (group A) via ETCB, 35 cases of open left CLND (group B), and 90 cases of right CLND via ETCB (Group C) were performed from October 2014 to October 2019. Surgical data, complications, and follow-up data were compared among group A and group B, group A and group C, respectively. Results. There were no significant differences between group A and group B in intraoperative blood loss, tumor size, lymph node (LN) metastasis rate, dissected LN number, metastatic LN number, serum thyroglobulin (sTg), radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU), radioactive technetium uptake (RATU), radionuclide imaging of the residual area (RITRA), and radionuclide imaging of suspicious lymph node metastasis (RISLNM). There were no significant differences between group A and group C in age, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, tumor size, LN metastasis rate, dissected LN number, metastatic LN number, hypoparathyroidism, sTg, RAIU, RATU, RITRA, and RISLNM. There were 5 cases of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy and 1 case of recurrence in group C. Besides, 1 case of lymphatic leakage was in group A. Conclusion. For selected cases, endoscopic left CLND is safe, feasible, efficient, and more easier than endoscopic right CLND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility and strategies of right central lymph node dissection (CLND) in endoscopic thyroidectomy through chest-breast approach. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis on the conduction of 68 cases of endoscopic thyroidectomy through chest-breast approach with right side CLND (endoscopic group) and 31 cases of thyroidectomy through low-neck collar cervical approach with right side CLND (open group) from July 2014 to February 2019. The intraoperative and postoperative data were compared between the two groups. Results: All the surgeries in open group were successfully completed as well as the endoscopic group without any intraoperative conversion into open surgery. There were no difference in sizes of tumor, incidence of lymph node metastasis, number of dissected and metastatic lymph nodes, and postoperative hospitalization days between the two groups. Temporal hypoparathyroidism occurred in both groups with endoscopic group to be 24 cases and open group to be 15 cases but no case in both groups suffering from permanent hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, lymphatic leakage, or death. One case in endoscopic group was treated with secondary surgery for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis and no evidence of recurrence or metastasis was found in other cases during postoperative follow-up. Conclusions: With strict control in surgical indications and contraindications, endoscopic surgery is safe and feasible for selected cases with the same effect as open surgery on dissection of lymph nodes in the right central region, which is in line with the principle of radical treatment of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]