Transoral Robotic Surgery

Abstract

Archives of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Primary or Recurrent Oropharyngeal Carcinoma Nichole R. Dean, DO; Eben L. Rosenthal, MD; William R. Carroll, MD; John P. Kostrzewa, MD; Virginia L. Jones, BS; Renee’ A. Desmond, DVM, PhD; Lisa Clemons, RN; J. Scott Magnuson, MD Objective:  To determine the feasibility of robotic-assisted salvage surgery for oropharyngeal cancer. Design:  Retrospective case-controlled study. Setting:  Academic, tertiary referral center. Patients:  Patients who underwent surgical resection for T1 and T2 oropharyngeal cancer between 2001 and 2008 were classified into the following 3 groups based on type of resection: (1) robotic-assisted surgery for primary neoplasms (robotic primary) (n = 15), (2) robotic-assisted salvage surgery for recurrent disease (robotic salvage) (n = 7), and (3) open salvage resection for recurrent disease (n = 14). Main Outcome Measures:  Data regarding tumor subsite, stage, and prior treatment were evaluated as well as margin status, nodal disease, length of hospital stay, diet, and tracheotomy tube dependence. Results:  The median length of stay in the open salvage group was longer (8.2 days) than robotic salvage (5.0 days) (P = .14) and robotic primary (1.5 days) resection groups (P  Conclusion:  When feasible, robotic-assisted surgery is an acceptable procedure for resection of both primary and recurrent oropharyngeal tumors. Trial Registration:  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00473564