Advances in the assessment of cosmetic outcomes, sensory alteration in surgical areas, and health-related quality of life of endoscopic thyroidectomy

Abstract

Background Endoscopic thyroidectomy has been preliminarily proven effective and safe for thyroid diseases. The cosmetic outcomes and life quality are critical contents of postoperative assessment. This review will primarily focus on the assessment methods and results related to cosmetic outcomes, sensory alteration of surgical area, and quality of life following endoscopic thyroidectomy. Methods A comprehensive search of published articles within the last decade was conducted using the terms “endoscopic/robotic thyroidectomy,” “patient satisfaction scores,” “questionnaire,” “quality of life,” and “cosmetic” in PubMed. Results Assessment methods for postoperative cosmetic satisfaction and sensory alterations encompassed verbal/visual analog scales, scar evaluations, Semmes–Weinstein monofilament tests, and more. The evaluation of postoperative quality of life in endoscopic thyroidectomy involved tools such as SF-36, SF-12, thyroid-specific questionnaires, thyroid cancer-specific quality of life questionnaires (THYCA-QOL), as well as assessments related to voice and swallow function. The cosmetic results of endoscopic thyroidectomy generally surpassed those of open thyroidectomy, while the quality of life in endoscopic procedures was either superior or equivalent to that in open thyroidectomy, especially with respect to general health, role emotion, and vitality. Conclusions Assessments of cosmetic outcomes and sensory alterations following endoscopic thyroidectomy predominantly relied on patients’ subjective feelings. The objective and subjective perspectives of scar assessments remain underutilized. In addition, postoperative laryngoscopy and voice function assessments in endoscopic thyroidectomy procedures require more attention.