Lobectomy

In most cases, thyroid cancer is confined to one lobe of the thyroid gland. Removing only the affected lobe—also known as a partial thyroidectomy—is usually sufficient.

Total Thyroidectomy

A total thyroidectomy is performed when cancer is present in both lobes of the thyroid, when the primary tumor is about 4 cm or larger, when there is suspected invasion into surrounding organs, or when cervical lymph node metastasis is clearly identified.

Open Surgery

This conventional method involves making a 4-5 cm incision on the front of the neck. If lateral neck lymph node dissection is required, the incision may need to be extended to 10–15 cm.

BABA Robotic Surgery (Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach)

This robotic surgical technique uses four robotic arms inserted through small incisions around both areolas and armpits to remove the thyroid gland. It was developed and first implemented at Seoul National University Hospital in 2008 and has since been proven safe through extensive clinical experience.

SPRA Robotic Surgery (Single-Port Unilateral Areolar Approach)

SPRA is a robotic thyroidectomy technique using the single-port Da Vinci SP system, performed through a single incision on one areola. While it follows the same principles as the BABA approach, SPRA improves on it by offering a more minimally invasive method using the advanced da Vinci SP platform. This technique was first developed in 2022 by Professor Jinwook Lee, who has since performed over 400 cases. It has been internationally recognized by a leading U.S. robotic surgery company as a cutting-edge method for robotic thyroid surgery.

Central Compartment Lymph Node Dissection

In about 30% of papillary thyroid cancer cases, the cancer spreads to lymph nodes surrounding the thyroid on the same side. Therefore, these lymph nodes are typically removed together with the thyroid during surgery.

Lateral Neck Lymph Node Dissection

In some cases of papillary thyroid cancer, the cancer may metastasize further to the lymph nodes next to the carotid artery. In such cases, a more extensive surgery is needed to remove all affected lymph nodes on that side of the neck. This often requires a large incision from below the jaw to above the clavicle.