Current trends in robotic surgery for otolaryngology

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly common in head and neck procedures.
• Robotic surgery has expanded from thyroid surgery and transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to other areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications and future potential of robotic surgery in otolaryngology.
• To highlight advancements in transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and other head and neck procedures.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on robotic surgery in head and neck procedures.
• Discussion of adapted techniques, including laser use with robotic systems.
• Examination of reported reconstructions and dissections using robotic assistance.

Main Results:

• Robotic surgery has advanced TORS for oropharyngeal and supraglottic cancers.
• New techniques enable transoral total laryngectomy and hypopharyngectomy.
• Skull base approaches show promise but are limited by current robotic instrument size.
• Reconstruction and neck dissections have been successfully reported.

Conclusions:

• Robotic surgery is becoming integral to head and neck procedures, with expanding applications.
• Ongoing technological developments are poised to further enhance robotic capabilities in otolaryngology.
• Future robotic systems aim to address limitations in current instrument size and expand endolaryngeal and neurotologic applications.