Abstract
Background:
Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) was introduced by Anuwong in 2016 and is rapidly gaining adopters around the world. The initial steps of the procedure involve the creation of a working space (WS), which takes an experienced surgeon ~20–30 minutes. The Spacemaker™ dissection balloon has been used in transcervical video-assisted approach for thyroidectomies to facilitate the dissection of the subplatysmal planes, 1 as well as in other procedures wherein creation of a WS is necessary.2–4 Herein, we describe the utilization of a dilation balloon (Spacemaker Plus Dissector System; Covidien, Medtronic) to create the WS in TOETVA. This presentation aims to introduce the Spacemaker Plus dissector system to rapidly perform the WS for the TOETVA procedure.
Materials and Methods:
The Spacemaker device was used in a standard TOETVA case to create the WS. Videodocumentation demonstrating the device was obtained after obtaining patient consent and institutional review board approval.
Results:
The dissection time of the WS was considerably shorter than that obtained by the team in the procedures before the use of the Spacemaker device. No abnormal bleeding or other adverse events were observed during or after the procedure.
Conclusions:
The use of Spacemaker proved to be safe and efficient in TOETVA. Further studies may demonstrate improved safety and cost-effectiveness in addition to the time savings.
A.A.T.B. is a consultant for Ethicon—Johnson&Johnson and Cook Medical, nonrelated to the topic debated in this article. For all other authors, no competing financial interests exist.
Runtime of video: 6 mins 47 secs
