“Transoral robotic surgery for the management of head and neck cancer: a preliminary experience.”Genden, E. M., S. Desai, et al. (2009).
Head Neck 31(3): 283-9.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this prospective study was to determine the technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for a variety of malignant head and neck lesions. METHODS: From April 2007 to November 2007, 20 patients were enrolled in an institutional review board-approved prospective trial using the daVinci surgical robot. Inclusion criteria for the study consisted of adults with early head and neck cancer involving the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. RESULTS: Twenty patients were included in this study. In 2 cases, access to the tumor was inadequate and the procedure was terminated. In all 18 cases, negative resection margins were achieved. Intraoral reconstruction was performed in 8 patients. Fifteen of 18 patients underwent concomitant unilateral (n = 10) or bilateral (n = 5) selective neck dissections. None of the patients required tracheotomy and there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. The average setup time was 54.6 minutes (range, 140-20 minutes), with a precipitous decrease in the setup time as the study progressed. CONCLUSION: TORS is a safe, feasible, and minimally invasive alternative to classic open surgery or endoscopic transoral laser surgery in patients with early cancer of the head and neck. With increasing experience, surgical setup as well as operative time will continue to decrease.
“Transoral robotic surgery: Establishment of a programme in Hong Kong.”
Vlantis, A. V., S. K. Ng, et al. (2009).
Surgical Practice 13(1): 17-19.
Aim: To establish a transoral robotic surgery (TORS) programme for the surgical management of head and neck pathology including oropharyngeal lesions, and to carry out a TORS tonsillectomy. Methods: Training for otolaryngologists was planned and undertaken. Off-site robotic training of otolaryngologists was conducted by a robotic company trainer. Visits to established international TORS programmes were made. A suitable patient was identified with the intention of undergoing a TORS tonsillectomy and evaluating the outcome. Results: A patient successfully underwent a transoral robotic surgery tonsillectomy using a surgical robot system without intraoperative or postoperative complications or sequelae. Conclusions: A transoral robotic surgery programme, including training for otorhinolaryngologists, has been established. A tonsillectomy, a feasible procedure easily carried out, was done using a surgical robot system without complications. © Journal compilation © 2009 College of Surgeons of Hong Kong.