Subcutaneous dissection area contributes less to endoscopic thyroidectomy-related invasiveness.

<bold>Objective: </bold>To clarify the contribution of the subcutaneous area during breast approach endoscopic thyroidectomy (BAET), with regard to invasiveness-related outcomes.<bold>Methods: </bold>Seventy-two patients were randomly assigned to two groups: standard dissection and limited dissection. Postoperative pain and inflammatory response were compared between groups.<bold>Results: </bold>The groups were well matched except for subcutaneous dissection area (137.11 ± 21.10 vs. 83.69 ± 12.10 cm(2), p < 0.0001). No significant difference was found with regard to VAS score and postoperative inflammatory response.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Our RCT indicated that the subcutaneous area plays a less important role with regard to BAET-related postoperative pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]