Starting a Transoral Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery Program

Purpose of Review: To describe the necessary steps to facilitate safe implementation of a transoral thyroid and parathyroid surgery program. Recent Findings: Transoral vestibular approaches to the central neck have been demonstrated to be safe and feasible, while avoiding the morbidity of a cutaneous scar. As operative volume expands from a select few high-volume centers, a framework for implementation has been recommended to allow the evidence-based outcomes to translate into clinical practice for new adopters of these techniques. These include securing institutional support, choosing the appropriate candidate (both patient and surgeon), appropriate case observation and instruction (live and cadaver), and adequate first-case preparation and knowledge of the learning curve(s) for the techniques. Summary: The recommendations in this article provide a foundation from which a transoral thyroid and parathyroid program may be successfully built. An intricate understanding of conventional transcervical central neck surgery and institutional support are absolute prerequisites to safe and successful implementation of these transoral vestibular techniques.