Feasibility of Robotic Surgical System in the Field of Head and Neck Surgery

Abstract

The current trend in managing head and neck cancer is to perform organ preservation therapy which improves quality of life and decreases treatment related morbidity. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) can overcome the limit of line of sight often met in classic transoral procedure. We utilized robotic surgical system for the treatment of oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer. TORS was performed using the da Vinci surgical robot (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA). It is consisted of a surgeon’s console and a manipulator cart equipped with 3 robotic arms. The surgeon is provided with 3-dimensional magnified images from the endoscopic arm and can control 2 instrument arms for delicate operations from the console. TORS can provide magnified three dimensional views and overcome the limitation resulting from the line of sight which hinders classic transoral procedure. Safe resection of the head and neck cancer lesion was possible with the 3-dimensional magnified images and two robotic arms which have 360 degree joint motion. The application of TORS for lateral oropharyngectomy, partial hypopharyngectomy and partial laryngectomy is technically feasible and safe.