Endocrine Surgeon Insoo Suh, MD Pioneers New Hybrid Surgical Option for “Hidden Scar” Thyroidectomy
Insoo Suh, M.D., FACS, assistant professor of endocrine surgery and noted surgical innovator, presented his experiences using “scarless” transoral endoscopic thyroid and parathyroid surgery to a national audience at the 2018 meeting of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES). Minimally invasive and remote access thyroid surgery has been evolving with the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) emerging as a true "scarless" thyroidectomy. Dr. Suh helped pioneer this technique and is among the first surgeons in the U.S. to utililze it.
Dr. Suh also discussed his experiences with a new hybrid procedure using a TransOral and Submental Technique (TOaST) technique, a refinement that pairs the transoral approach with a small easily hidden incision just under the chin, offering patients an additional surgical option with a number of potential benefits including:
- Decrease in postoperative complications and patient discomfort
- The ability to accommodate larger thyroid specimens
- Maintaining virtually all of the cosmetic benefits of traditional scarless surgery
Related Publication
The first case report on the use of the TOaST technique was recently published at:
Chen Y, Chomsky-Higgins K, Nwaogu I, Seib CD, Gosnell JE, Shen WT, Duh QY, Suh I, Hidden in Plain Sight: Transoral and Submental Thyroidectomy as a Compelling Alternative to "Scarless" Thyroidectomy, Journal of laparoendoscopic & advanced surgical techniques. Part A, May-07-2018; [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
#AAES2018 @TheAAES panel with @insoosuh, @InabnetMD, Tobias Carling & Raymon Grogan on American experience (~250 cases) in #TOETVA transoral thyroidectomy, suitable for small indeterminate nodules or low risk cancers in patients who are concerned about scars from neck incision pic.twitter.com/D26MKFIYUX
— Quan-Yang Duh (@EndoSurgSF) May 8, 2018