TriStar StoneCrest Debuts Scar-Free Transoral Thyroidectomy

Jul 09, 2020 at 09:58 am by Staff


The surgical team at TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center, under the direction of general surgeon, Joshua Taylor, MD, FACS, with The Surgical Clinic, has become the first in Tennessee to remove thyroid glands using an approach that leaves no visible scar. Rather than performing the surgery through an incision in the neck, which leaves a visible scar, this new scar-free minimally invasive approach was performed using very small incisions inside the mouth, between the gums and lower lip.

An endoscopic camera and instruments are inserted through the hidden incisions underneath the lower lip. The endoscopic camera provides a magnified view of the operative field to permit safe removal of the thyroid gland. With this approach, there is no incision or scar on the neck and the incisions in the oral cavity heal very quickly and are not visible within 7-10 days of surgery.

"We want to offer patients an opportunity to undergo surgery on the thyroid and parathyroid without the visible scar as they can be potentially disfiguring or serve as reminders of a disease process," said Taylor. "Studies have shown that a thyroid scar is one of the biggest concerns patients have regarding their surgery."

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