Emad Kandil From Tulane University: Robotic Thyroid Surgery Not for Everyone

While technology has come a long way in recent years for operations on the thyroid some patients either may not qualify for robotic surgery or may prefer the more traditional options for their own personal reasons.

As the head of the endocrine surgery section at Tulane University, Emad Kandil, MD, said he does not actively encourage patients to opt for the robotic surgery if they are not comfortable with it and added that there are some patients who may want the procedure but may not be eligible for it for various reasons. One of the main reasons patients are not a candidate for the surgery, according to Kandil, is being overweight which can affect the outcome.

Even with the latest technology available Kandil said there is always more work that can be done to help improve results and help more patients in the future.