Advanced Robotic Surgery of the Parapharyngeal Space: Transoral Robotic Styloidectomy in Eagle Syndrome

Abstract

Eagle syndrome (ES) is characterized by symptomatic elongation of the styloid process or ossification of the stylohyoid ligament causing irritation and inflammation of the trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nerves. The use of robotic surgery has been accepted as a first-line treatment for some head and neck squamous cell carcinomas but not for styloidectomy. The aim of this article is to document our experience with a transoral robotic approach to treat ES and to present the outcomes of 6 patients.The author present the transoral robotic surgery as a successful alternative for the surgical management of ES. Our experience with this approach has been excellent, granting an optimal vision of the surgical field with the consequent safe manipulation of the instruments avoiding injuries to healthy tissue.