Innovative Refinements in Robotic-assisted Transoral Free Flap Inset Using Mini-pharyngotomy.

ABSTRACT: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has revolutionized head and neck cancer treatment by offering minimally invasive access to challenging anatomical regions. The first TORS procedure was performed in 2003, using the da Vinci Surgical System to remove a vallecular cyst, demonstrating its feasibility in otolaryngology. In 2005, Hockstein et al advanced robotic applications for pharyngeal and laryngeal regions, making TORS a viable alternative to more invasive approaches, such as mandibulotomy for tumor resection. Initially used for small tumors, TORS has expanded to include larger tumors requiring free flap reconstruction for extensive oropharyngeal defects. Robotic surgery also continues to grow in other head and neck procedures, with increasing reports of robotic thyroidectomy and skull base

SUBMITTER: Speck NE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863905 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature