Our evidence suggests that spinal cord rotation is a strong and significant predictor of C5 palsy postoperatively. Patients can be classified into three types, with Type 1 representing mild rotation (0° to 5°), Type 2 representing moderate rotation (6° to 10°), and Type 3 representing severe rotation (≥ 11°). The rate of C5 palsy was zero of 159 in the Type-1 group, eight of thirteen in the Type-2 group, and four of four in the Type-3 group. This information may be valuable for surgeons and patients considering anterior surgery in the C4 to C6 levels.

Background: We sought to describe a robotic technique of transaxillary gasless parathyroidectomy for the management of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) due to a parathyroid adenoma. Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent robotic parathyroidectomy for a parathyroid adenoma by a single surgeon were included. Data was obtained by a retrospective review of patients' medical charts. Results: Nine patients with confirmed PHPT underwent robotic parathyroidectomy. Curative resection was established in all patients with the aid of intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring. One patient required bilateral cervical exploration of multiglandular disease. There were no complications. Patients were followed up for a period exceeding 6 months without any evidence of persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism. Conclusions: Our initial experience demonstrates that this technique is safe and effective for the treatment of PHPT. We believe that the use of robotic technology for endoscopic parathyroid surgeries could overcome the limitations of conventional techniques in the management of parathyroid lesions.

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