Minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy compared with conventional thyroidectomy in a general surgery department

We retrospectively evaluated a series of patients who underwent minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) to define its advantages or disadvantages. Between May 2005 and March 2008, 68 patients underwent MIVAT. Sixty-nine patients who underwent conventional thyroidectomy (CT) during the period before the introduction of the MIVAT technique in our department—chosen with the same inclusion criteria used for MIVAT—served as matched controls. The eligibility criteria for both groups was thyroid nodules ≤35 mm, thyroid volume