A team of surgeons from the Royal Hospital in the capital Muscat has made history after they performed the first-of-its-kind trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy (TET) in Oman, according to Gulf News.
The medical team was able to remove the thyroid gland tumours through the mouth from two patients without using the conventional trans-cervical approach that requires surgical intervention through the back of the neck.
The procedure involved making an incision through the mouth, then inserting the instruments through the mouth to reach the diseased thyroid area. Afterwards, the medical cadre approached the thyroid gland and removed the tumour by the endoscope. The technique took two hours.
Dr Riyaz Ahmad, endocrine surgery and endoscopy senior consultant, said that it was first performed in Thailand then followed by rare attempts made by specialised centres around the world.