Harrypal Panesar, ST3 Otolaryngology, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, UK
An impressive faculty of leading thyroid and parathyroid surgeons from countries across the world was in attendance along with 45 delegates seated in a sold-out lecture theatre.
The morning started with a warm welcome from the organising committee encouraging a relaxed atmosphere and interactive participation. Jon Russell, an ENT surgeon at the John Hopkins in the USA, then outlined the ‘Why behind remote access thyroid surgery’. The key takeaways were the avoidance of scar on the anterior neck and the low rates of complications being comparable with traditional techniques. 
The first session of the day, chaired by Sid Nagala, detailed the extensive process of setting up a remote access thyroid surgery service, with Ram Moorthy describing his experience of setting up the first UK parathyroid/thyroid transoral service. Common themes in these setting up stages related to the importance of governance, consent and case selection.
After a morning break for refreshments, which gave everyone an opportunity to browse the displays of the industry reps, the session covered more specific topics focused on the operative steps of transvestibular approach to thyroidectomy and how to overcome the learning curve. A notable highlight was when the delegates were treated to an excellent video footage of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy narrated by the operating surgeon.
After lunch, the panel moved the discussion on to thyroid surgery through the face lift approach and provided transparent and realistic anecdotes of the first few cases. George Mochloulis outlined his experience of setting up the first robotic thyroidectomy service in the UK. A special mention goes to Antonio Bertelli and Leonardo Rangel, surgeons in Brazil, for displaying footage of robotic techniques to perform thyroidectomy via a retroauricular approach. The meeting ended with a faculty-led round table discussion on the future of remote access surgery. The panel advocated for increased awareness among medical practitioners and public of the value and benefits remote access surgery and the potential to go beyond thyroid or parathyroid work. The meeting ended on a high note with everyone gathering for drinks at a London venue. 
