Transoral robotic surgery, or TORS, is a surgical technique that removes tumors of the throat by reaching them directly through the mouth using a surgical robot's wristed instruments and magnified three dimensional view. It lets a surgeon see and work in the mouth, pharynx, and larynx without any incision through the neck, chin, or lip, and it is used mainly to remove tumors of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx, with some use extending to the parapharyngeal space and skull base. A related variant called TORSA applies the same transoral robotic approach to open the upper airway in obstructive sleep apnea, for procedures such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and hemiglossectomy. Because it avoids external incisions, TORS can reduce blood loss and complications and shorten surgery and hospital stays compared with open surgical resection.
Facts
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Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transoral_robotic_surgery, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transoral_robotic_surgery, lead section
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a modern surgical technique used to treat tumors of the throat via direct access through the mouth.
2. Transoral Robotic Surgery (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section, first sentenceQuote, History section, first sentence
The TORS technique was first developed in 2004-2005 by Drs. Neil Hockstein, Gregory Weinstein and Bert O'Malley Jr. at the University of Pennsylvania.
Transoral robotic surgery (Wikipedia)
Transoral Robotic Surgery - Lead sectionQuote, Transoral Robotic Surgery - Lead section
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a modern surgical technique used to treat tumors of the throat via direct access through the mouth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is transoral robotic surgery?
A robotic technique that reaches throat tumors through the mouth without external incisions.
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a modern surgical technique used to treat tumors of the throat via direct access through the mouth. The surgeon uses a surgical robot to view and access structures in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx without any incisions through the neck, chin or lip, which are necessary in traditional, non-robotic approaches.
What are the outcomes and complications of transoral robotic surgery?
Less blood loss and shorter stays than open surgery; complications in 10-25% of cases, mostly minor.
The current literature indicates that the TORS technique results in less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and lower complication rates than open surgery. One study including data from 410 patients demonstrated 91.8% 2-year locoregional control of the cancer and 94.5% 2-year disease-specific survival. Many studies have found complications in 10-25% of cases. Most are minor, including dehydration, tooth injury, minor bleeding, dysphagia, dysgeusia, tongue numbness and uncontrolled pain, while fewer patients develop major complications, which include hemorrhage, deep venous thrombosis, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, asphyxia or death.
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