Robotic surgical technique for pediatric laryngotracheal reconstruction

The attributes of robotic technology-steady, precise movements and untiring action in difficult positions and confined spaces-are well suited to surgical procedures that benefit from these qualities. Ironically, the introduction of robotic technology to the specialty of otolaryngology has been limited by the same anatomic constraints that make the technology so appealing: the anatomic areas that currently are accessed using minimally invasive endoscopic methods can be too small to accommodate the robotic apparatus. This article focuses on the authors' experience using the da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, California).