Development and prospect of total endoscopic selective lateral neck dissection in differentiated thyroid cancer

Abstract

In recent years, the consensus has confirmed the high lymph node metastasis rate of thyroid papillary cancer (PTC) and the characteristics of its sequential metastasis and intranodal metastasis. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer (second edition) proposed the concept of "selective lymph node dissection", a strategy that provides a promising outlook for endoscopic lateral neck dissection for PTC. Among various approaches, the transthoracic approach has been widely recognized for its simplicity, safety, feasibility, and wide range of indications. Years of practical exploration have shown that the four-zone seven-step selective dissection method through the transthoracic approach can achieve the same effect as open surgery without increasing the incidence of related complications. Therefore, for young patients with cosmetic needs, this operation has a very broad clinical prospective.