[Transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery]. / Transoral'nyi éndoskopicheskii dostup k shchitovidnoi zheleze.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze own initial experience of transoral thyroid surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 7 patients thyroid nodules who underwent surgery for the period from March 2018 to May 2019. All patients signed an informed consent to be included in the study. Surgical approach was performed through three incisions in the lower arch of the vestibule of the mouth with deployment of 10 mm endoscope and two 5 mm tools. Gas insufflation was used. All patients were females aged 43.3±11.8 years. Thyroidectomy was performed in 2 cases, hemithyroidectomy - in 5 patients. Dimensions of nodules varied from 10 to 42 mm. RESULTS: Mean time of hemithyroidectomy and thyroidectomy was 206.4±63.8 and 232±37.5 min, respectively. Papillary carcinoma was histologically verified in 1 case. Injuries of recurrent laryngeal nerve, postoperative hypocalcemia and local complications were absent. Drainage was not applied. Postoperative hospital-stay was 3.7±1.1 days. CONCLUSION: Transoral approach to the thyroid gland is technically feasible with standard endoscopic instruments, safe for important anatomical structures and more precise due to the optical capabilities of endoscopic equipment. Any types of procedures are possible. Undoubtedly, aesthetic outcome is also favorable.

[Evolution of complex treatment of patients with non-specific pleural empyema]. / Évoliutsiia metodov kompleksnogo lecheniia bol'nykh s nespetsificheskoi émpiemoi plevry.

AIM: To analyze long-term own experience of NPE treatment in view of evolution of surgical sanitation of pleural cavity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis included 5115 patients with NPE for the last 39 years (1977-2015). Morbidity, features of microflora of purulent exudate, changes in the structure of surgical methods were assessed. The role of computed tomography in the diagnostic algorithm and treatment of NPE was studied. RESULTS: The evolution of NPE surgical management includes introduction of video technologies, thermal surgical instruments and widespread use of computed tomography in the diagnosis of pleural empyema. So, significant reduction of patients who were discharged with residual cavities was observed. Postoperative mortality was 19.5% for the period 1977-1996 when traumatic open surgery was used. At the same time there were no deaths within 1997-2015 due to introduction of VATS pleural drainage. Overall mortality decreased from 4.9% to 3.2% for the same period due to reduced postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: The introduction of minimally invasive technologies, new thermal surgical instruments changed management of NPE patients, reduced the number of traumatic open procedures. So, improved outcomes were achieved.

[Transoral approach to thyroid gland in the experiment]. / Transoral'nyi dostup k shchitovidnoi zheleze v eksperimente (s kommentariem P.S. Vetsheva).

AIM: To develop minimally invasive and safe endoscopic access to thyroid gland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Transoral pre-mandibular video-assisted gas-free access to thyroid gland was developed in experimental study that included 19 human cadavers. Stereometric modeling defined the evaluation criteria including the form of basal arch of lower jaw and its height. There was no conflict of instruments in working chamber under platysma. Additional trocar was deployed to resolve the conflict between working parts of instruments during thyroid gland mobilization. The angle of operative action between the instruments is close to 90°. Trocar hole is used for drainage. RESULTS: The access provides good visualization of recurrent laryngeal nerve, upper and lower thyroid arteries and parathyroid gland. It is less traumatic compared with other extra-cervical accesses to thyroid glands.

[Transhiatal esophagectomy for cardia and esophagus cancer]. / Transkhiatal'naya ezofagektomiya pri rake kardii i pishchevoda.

AIM: To present the result of transhiatal esophagectomies with simultaneous repair. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 67 procedures. In 35 cases surgery was carried out for adenocarcinoma of distal esophagus or cardia with high transition to esophagus, in 32 cases - for epidermal carcinoma of the esophagus. Gastric graft and left half of the colon were used in 60 and 7 cases respectively for simultaneous repair. 29 patients underwent transhiatal instrumental esophagectomy using author's original technique.

[Risk of hypocalcemia after thyroid surgery].

AIM: To reveal calcium metabolism disorders that frequently occur after thyroid surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 202 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for different diseases and had normal calcium level in peripheral blood at baseline. RESULTS: Based on laboratory data postoperative hypocalcemia was diagnosed in 57 (28.8%) patients. It was not always accompanied by clinical symptoms. Clinical picture depended on degree of hypocalcemia. Symptoms was diagnosed more frequently if calcium concentration was less than 2.1 mmol/l. Clinical manifestations were absent in 64.9% of cases on background of hypocalcemia. Incidence of hypocalcemia was higher after thyroidectomy compared to organ-preserving surgery. Symptoms of hypocalcemia occurred after thyroidectomy only. Casual parathyroidectomy does not always cause hypocalcemia. Only in 14% of patients with hypocalcemia excised parathyroid was identified in specimen. At the same time 7.6% of patients with postoperative normocalcaemia also had excised parathyroids in specimens. Symptoms of hypocalcemia does not always occur at 1 day after surgery. They can appear later, for example at 5 days postoperatively and depend on severity of hypocalcemia. Thyroidectomy has high risk of postoperative hypocalcemia with clinical symptoms (19.6%) that is transient in 15.5% of cases and permanent in 4.1% of patients.