Feasibility of transoral robotic nasopharyngectomy for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma: how we do it

Abstract

Retreatment of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy or concomitant chemoradiation is challenging. Surgical resection can be a good method for resectable lesions and avoids the complication of re-irradiation. Recently, transoral robotic nasopharyngectomy has been developed as a minimally invasive procedure for localized recurrent NPC. We assessed feasibility of transoral robotic nasopharyngectomy in three patients with recurrent NPC. All patients had recurrent NPC (rT1) after radiation or chemoradiation therapy. All operations were performed successfully, and the surgical outcomes were acceptable. In conclusion, preliminary results indicate that transoral robotic nasopharyngectomy is feasible and safe for recurrent NPC.