Helios Berlin-Buch: Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery without neck scar - ABBA method

27/09/2024 09:09

Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch offers thyroid patients the so-called ABBA method (Axillo-bilateral-breast approach). The special feature of this method is that there is no incision on the neck at all. There is therefore no visible scar there later. Saskia Maier from Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt, traveled to Berlin-Buch especially to have her enlarged thyroid nodule removed using this method. The Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch is one of the few hospitals in Germany to offer this complex keyhole surgery.

Saskia Maier has known for some time that she has bilateral “cold thyroid nodules” and visits her GP every year for a check-up. “Cold nodules” are certain forms of tissue changes in the thyroid gland which, unlike ‘hot nodules’, do not increase hormone production. In the vast majority of cases, these are benign nodules.

However, the right nodule has now enlarged so much that it has to be operated on. But Saskia Maier wants to avoid a scar on her neck, which could potentially restrict her in her job as a florist, so she researches various options on the internet.

She came across an article on thyroid surgery using the ABBA method and was directed from there to the specialist page for general, visceral and oncological surgery at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch. The Buch clinic is one of the few clinics in the area to offer this special method without a large scar on the neck.

“I then decided that I wanted to have this surgical method at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch and drove two and a half hours by car to the clinic in Berlin-Buch for the preliminary examination and later for the operation,” reports Saskia Maier. The 37-year-old was operated on at the beginning of January this year by the team led by Prof. Dr. med. Roger Wahba, Chief Physician of General, Visceral and Oncological Surgery at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch. “The initial contact, the appointment for the preliminary examination and the agreement on an operation date were quick and uncomplicated. The scars have healed very well and I am very happy with the result,” says Saskia Maier. A follow-up appointment took place at the hospital and the further follow-up checks were then carried out by the family doctor at home.

“Cold thyroid nodules” are usually removed surgically - a routine procedure that our Clinic for General, Visceral and Oncological Surgery also performs several times a week. Our aim is to continuously expand the range of our procedures and keyhole surgery."

- says Prof. Dr. med. Roger Wahba, FEBS

The ABBA method

“We used this established surgical procedure to operate on the patient and remove the right lobe of the thyroid gland. The patient was able to be discharged home quickly,” reports Ms. Maier's attending physician Sarah-Elisabeth Biederbick, specialist in general and visceral surgery and Head of Endocrine Surgery at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch.

The ABBA method, which was developed in Japan in 2006, is a minimally invasive technique for thyroid surgery. Compared to conventional methods, it leaves only small, usually inconspicuous scars, as the incisions are made in the armpit and on the breast. The surgeons reach the thyroid gland by inserting special surgical instruments via the breast area and the armpit and moving them under the skin layer up to the organ.

"In addition to the good cosmetic result - instead of the minimum four centimeter incision on the neck, three much shorter incisions are now sufficient. With the help of a camera, which is part of the surgical instruments, we can see the area to be operated on in multiple magnification on a screen and can therefore see even more precisely where the nerves run towards the vocal folds, for example. These should not be damaged under any circumstances."

- says Sarah-Elisabeth Biederbick, Senior Consultant - Specialist in General and Visceral Surgery / Head of the Endocrine Surgery Department.

The operation usually takes 60 to 90 minutes and requires a hospital stay of only one to two days.

However, the ABBA method is not suitable for all thyroid patients. Certain criteria must be met, such as a certain size of thyroid gland, the absence of suspected thyroid cancer and no previous operations on the thyroid gland.

“The ABBA method offers particular advantages for women, as subcutaneous and breast fat tissue allow more room for dissection than in men. The advantages of this method lie in the minimally invasive nature of the approach, the good cosmetic results and the rapid recovery after the operation. Most patients only have very fine scars that can be easily concealed with clothing,” says Ms. Biederbick.

Interested patients are welcome to seek advice on whether this method is suitable for them.

Do you need more information about Helios Hospitals or do you want to schedule your treatment?

Please contact our Helios International Office. We will gladly advise you!

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