New Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Thyroid Surgery Offers Relief Without Neck Scars

College Station, Texas, August 10, 2009 – For those facing the prospect of thyroid surgery, the concern about a surgical scar across the neck may become a thing of the past. Ronald B. Kuppersmith, M.D., FACS, and Andrew deJong, M.D., of The Texas Institute for Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery are now performing a new procedure that eliminates neck scars by approaching the thyroid through an incision under the arm. This robotic-assisted endoscopic thyroid lobectomy is being performed using the daVinci® Surgical System at College Station Medical Center (http://www.csmedcenter.com) in College Station, Texas.

Since the first such procedure at this facility in early June, patients have taken advantage of this surgical technique, which is cosmetically more appealing because scars from traditional surgery can be as large as three to four inches in length and located just above the collarbone.

In addition to the cosmetic benefits, the daVinci Surgical Robot offers superior visualization and instrumentation compared to traditional surgery, allowing a complete and safe dissection of the thyroid gland. Currently, patients with thyroid nodules less than 4 cm in diameter and small papillary thyroid carcinomas may be candidates for this procedure.

“The ability to use the daVinci robot for thyroid surgery potentially represents a great step forward in patient care, provides new options for patients and will allow for the procedure to be conducted without leaving unattractive scarring on the neck,” says Dr. Kuppersmith.

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Melissa Purl

Marketing Director

College Station Medical Center

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