Published Nov 10, 2026
Updated Nov 11, 2026
Kyu Eun Lee, from Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), has played a major role in the consolidation and international dissemination of the bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) for robotic thyroid surgery.
His contribution is particularly evident in the remarkable clinical experience accumulated at SNUH. In 2009, Lee and colleagues published their initial experience with robotic BABA thyroidectomy. By 2011, their series already included 704 patients, and in 2013 they reported a review of 1,026 cases, providing substantial evidence on surgical outcomes and completeness. These were not simply impressive numbers: they helped establish the technique as a reproducible approach and provided a foundation for its wider adoption.
Lee’s contribution has also been profoundly academic and educational. Through an extensive body of scientific publications, book chapters and surgical atlases, including Color Atlas of Thyroid Surgery, co-authored with Yeo-Kyu Youn and June Young Choi,he has helped document the procedure, refine its technical details and make the experience of the SNUH team accessible to surgeons worldwide.
The history of BABA is a collective achievement, built by a team of surgeons and researchers at Seoul National University. Kyu Eun Lee stands out as one of the key figures who helped transform that experience into an established surgical technique, supported by a substantial clinical evidence base and disseminated internationally.
References
Lee KE, Rao J, Youn YK. Endoscopic thyroidectomy with the da Vinci robot system using the bilateral axillary breast approach (BABA) technique: our initial experience. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2009 Jun;19(3):e71-5. doi: 10.1097/SLE.0b013e3181a4ccae.
Lee KE, Choi JY, Youn YK. Bilateral axillo-breast approach robotic thyroidectomy. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2011 Aug;21(4):230-6. doi: 10.1097/SLE.0b013e31822d0455.
Lee KE, Kim E, Koo do H, Choi JY, Kim KH, Youn YK. Robotic thyroidectomy by bilateral axillo-breast approach: review of 1,026 cases and surgical completeness. Surg Endosc. 2013 Aug;27(8):2955-62. doi: 10.1007/s00464-013-2863-1.
Youn YK, Lee KE, Choi JY. Color Atlas of Thyroid Surgery. Springer, 2014.
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