Thyroid surgery under nerve auto-fluorescence & artificial intelligence tissue identification software guidance.

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is a common malignancy that requires comprehensive clinical evaluation prior to adequate surgical management. Over the last three decades thyroid surgery has tripled and is considered one of the most commonly performed procedures in general surgery. These procedures are associated with potential postoperative complications with significant deterioration in the patient's quality of life. While the current rates of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury following thyroidectomy have decreased secondary to intraoperative neuromonitoring, thyroid surgery remains the leading cause of iatrogenic injury. The authors herein present a case of a thyroid nodule with cervical lymph node involvement undergoing total thyroidectomy guided by near-ultraviolet (NUV) imaging nerve auto-fluorescent technology to visualize, identify and protect vital structures.