New Approaches for Robot-Assisted Neck Surgery: Clavicular and Submental Approaches Using the da Vinci SP System

Area of Science:

• Minimally invasive surgery
• Surgical robotics
• Head and neck surgery

Background:

• Robot-assisted surgery offers improved cosmetic outcomes and reduced trauma compared to traditional methods.
• Various robot-assisted surgical approaches exist, each with unique benefits and drawbacks.
• The da Vinci SP system presents a novel platform for minimally invasive neck procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of robot-assisted neck surgery using the da Vinci SP system.
• To evaluate single-incision clavicular and submental approaches for thyroid and neck dissections.
• To determine the efficiency and technical aspects of these novel surgical techniques.

Main Methods:

• The da Vinci SP system was utilized in a cadaveric model for clavicular and submental approaches.
• Procedures included lateral neck dissection, parapharyngeal space dissection, and thyroidectomy.
• Key metrics such as incision size, flap development, docking time, and procedure duration were recorded.

Main Results:

• Both clavicular and submental approaches required a minimal 2.5-cm skin incision with limited flap development.
• System docking was rapid, completed in approximately 5 minutes for each procedure.
• Procedure times varied, with neck dissections ranging from 60-77 minutes and thyroidectomies from 30-45 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The da Vinci SP system enables feasible single-incision robot-assisted neck surgery via clavicular and submental routes.
• These approaches minimize skin flap dissection and allow for rapid system setup without additional ports.
• Further clinical investigations in human patients are recommended to validate these findings.