Hoag is the first hospital in Southern California to perform the scarless transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy procedure and is one of the first hospitals in the nation where this innovative technique is available.
The minimally invasive approach eliminates visible scars by making three small incisions inside the mouth between the gum line and lower lip where surgeons can then use an endoscope to remove the thyroid gland.
“At Hoag we are always working to learn innovative techniques and the latest surgical advancements that can benefit our patients,” said Michael Demeure, M.D. F.A.C.S., M.B.A., F.A.C.E., endocrine surgeon and program director for Hoag Precision Medicine. “When compared to the conventional approach, performed through a two-inch opening in the neck, this option provides the cosmetic benefit of no visible scar.”
Surgeons Michael Demeure, M.D., and Colleen Coleman, M.D., performed the first two transoral endoscopic thyroidectomies on the same day in March 2018 and have completed additional procedures since.
“The patients who have undergone this procedure were excited to be among the ‘first, appreciating the lack of a scar on their neck,’” Dr. Coleman said. “But given the positive outcomes, I expect this will catch on.”
