The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the surgical outcomes of endoscopic total and near-total thyroidectomies in patients with thyroid cancer.

Between February 2000 and January 2009, among 387 patients who underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy in our hospital, we evaluated 50 patients who underwent endoscopic total or near-total thyroidectomy. Thirtyfive and 15 patients underwent endoscopic total thyroidectomy and near-total thyroidectomy, respectively. We analyzed the patients' clinicopathologic characteristics and post-operative complications between the two groups.

The mean size of tumors was 1.08 cm (range, 0.1 ~3.5 cm) and the mean operative time was 192 minutes. Forty-nine tumors were papillary cancers and 1 tumor was a follicular cancer. Two patients in the endoscopic total thyroidectomy group underwent re-operation because of bleeding. In the near-total thyroidectomy group, one patient had transient hypocalcemia and one patient had temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. In the total thyroidectomy group, nine patients had transient hypocalcemia and one patient had temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. There was no statistical difference in the post-operative complicationrates between the two groups (P=0.254 for hypocalcemia and P=0.470 for injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve).

Based on our experience, endoscopic total thyroidectomy is a safe and feasible alternative to endoscopic near-total thyroidectomy.