Comparison of endoscopic surgical approaches for total thyroidectomy: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Background: Different approaches to endoscopic total thyroidectomy are emerging for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer, raising clinical concerns about comprehensively evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches. In this study, we aimed to conduct a network meta-analysis to compare different endoscopic surgical approaches to total thyroidectomy, revealing their respective advantages and limitations.

Methods: PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched from their inception until March 2024. Pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis were performed. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was used to determine the probability that each surgical approach for the best individual outcome.

Results: Twenty-one studies comprising 4,361 patients were included. Based on the SUCRA value, the endoscopic transoral approach (EOA) retrieved the highest number of lymph nodes (LNs) (SUCRA =0.59) among all endoscopic surgical approaches. The minimally invasive video-assisted approach (MIVAA) significantly shortened the operative time (SUCRA =0.77) compared to other endoscopic surgical approaches. MIVAA ranked as the most effective surgical approach for reducing the rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism (SUCRA =0.81) and controlling intraoperative bleeding (SUCRA =0.77). The endoscopic gasless transaxillary approach (EGAA) effectively shortened the hospital stay (SUCRA =0.95) and reduced the rate of transient hypoparathyroidism (SUCRA =0.74). The endoscopic bilateral areola (EBAA) approach ranked as the most effective surgical approach for preventing recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy (SUCRA =0.92).

Conclusions: The surgical outcomes of endoscopic total thyroidectomy are comparable to those of open thyroidectomy. MIVAA was superior to other endoscopic surgical approaches in terms of operative time, intraoperative bleeding volume, and permanent hypoparathyroidism rate. EOA demonstrated a significant advantage in LNs retrieval. EBAA was superior in protecting the RLN.