Washington D.C. [US], Dec. 1 : You can now get your thyroid gland removed by getting three small incisions inside the mouth underneath the lower lip.

Team of researchers at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI) claimed to have performed the first endoscopic transoral thyroidectomy in New York, and one of the first of its kind in the nation.

Their initial case, which is the first published report in the United States, was recently described in the journal Surgical Endoscopy.

They inserted ports through the incisions, including an endoscope - a medical device with a light and camera.

Once a working space within the neck area was created, lead researcher, William B. Inabnet III, preserved the critical structures and removed the thyroid gland through the largest of the incisions.

This minimally-invasive procedure leaves a hidden scar compared to the conventional transcervical approach, which leaves a visible scar on the patient's neck.

"Out of all of the approaches, this is the type of thyroid operation, where there is no sign that the patient underwent surgery," said Dr. Inabnet.

"This procedure is best equipped for smaller nodules and early-stage papillary thyroid cancer. I anticipate, it will evolve for other applications going forward," he added.

Inabnet and his team specialize in a group of operations known as hidden-scar endoscopic thyroid surgery, which includes the transaxillary approach where incisions are made under the armpit, and the bilateral axillary breast approach, also known as BABA, where four small incisions are made in hidden locations on the chest.

Dr. Inabnet has pioneered new techniques in minimally invasive endocrine neck surgery as well as adrenal and pancreatic surgery. (ANI)