Anaesthesia for DaVinci assisted intraoral and tongue base operations

Abstract

Robotic assisted head and neck surgery is gaining popularity as it allows the surgeon to perform a range of manipulations in small cavities not possible with conventional laparoscopic surgery. There is also improved patient outcome with less morbidity. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) presents several challenges to the anaesthetist, ranging from changes to the conventional operating theatre setup to patient specific issues. In the article, we describe the anaesthetic management of patients presenting for TORS with obstructive sleep apnoea and oral tumours.