Robotic-Assisted Surgery in the Head and Neck

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Robotic surgery was first used in medicine in the 1980s for laparoscopic surgery. Since then, several developments have been made in the use of robotic surgery for patients with head and neck cancer. METHODS: A review was performed of the literature on robotic surgery in patients with head and neck cancer. The various sites of application are discussed in depth as well as the functional and oncological outcomes associated with the most common application of transoral robotic surgery (TORS). RESULTS: Robotic surgery has been used in all aspects of head and neck surgery. The results from early studies of TORS have shown at least equivalent functional and oncological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic surgery has feasible utility in patients with head and neck cancer; moreover, in several circumstances it may provide superior cosmetic, functional, and oncological outcomes than conventional methods.