Bundang Seoul National University Hospital Achieves World's First Pediatric 'Baba Robot Thyroid Surgery' Success

Professor Choi Jun-young's Surgical Team
Total Thyroidectomy in 5-Year-Old Patient

Choi Jun-young, Professor of Surgery at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Domestic medical staff have successfully performed the world's first pediatric patient 'BABA robot thyroidectomy.'

The surgical team led by Professor Choi Jun-young at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital (Professors Yoo Hyung-won, Kim Woo-chul, and Lee Ja-kyung) announced on the 11th that they completely removed the thyroid of a 5-year-old patient through BABA robot thyroidectomy. This is the first case to break the common belief that robotic thyroid surgery is difficult to apply to pediatric patients before school age.

BABA robot thyroidectomy is a surgical method that removes the thyroid through small incisions less than 1 cm made on both areolas and the armpits. Bundang Seoul National University Hospital first performed this surgery worldwide in 2008. It has been proven to leave no scars on the neck and to have fewer side effects such as adhesions, postoperative bleeding, voice changes, and hypoparathyroidism, making it actively performed worldwide.

However, until now, all robotic thyroid surgeries, including BABA robot surgery, were known to be difficult to perform on pediatric patients. This is because children have small bodies, making it difficult to secure enough internal space for the robotic arms to move. As a result, most pediatric thyroidectomies were performed by making incisions on the front of the neck where the thyroid is located, accepting the scars left on the neck.

Meanwhile, Professor Choi's team successfully performed BABA robot surgery on an 18 kg, 5-year-old girl suffering from intractable Graves' disease (hyperthyroidism) that was not controlled by medication, safely removing the entire thyroid. The research team explained that although the small body size of the patient significantly increases the difficulty of performing robotic surgery, the physical structure and nerve morphology are not significantly different from adults, so if skilled, the existing surgical techniques that improve accuracy and safety without expanding the flap (surgical space) can be applied equally.

They also confirmed the advantage that when applying robotic thyroidectomy to pediatric patients, the parathyroid tissue essential for maintaining blood calcium levels can be more clearly distinguished through the camera, making preservation during surgery easier. Professor Choi said, "Both the cosmetic advantage of no large scars on the neck and the functional advantages of lower risks of voice changes and hypoparathyroidism are very important factors in the patient's growth process after surgery. We will continue to accumulate successful cases of various pediatric robotic surgeries and share methodologies to ensure that pediatric patients can safely enjoy the benefits of robotic surgery."

This surgical case was recently published in the international academic journal 'Head and Neck.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.