This edition of review articles encompasses the emerging techniques of robotic surgery, written by international experts from centres that are increasing their repertoire of procedures. The treatment of oropharyngeal cancer is challenging irrespective of modality, as oncological and functional outcomes have great impact on quality of life. This article focuses on transoral robotic resections of oropharyngeal cancers for which acceptable oncological outcomes have been reported. The rationale behind this technique is to improve functional outcomes, avoid the morbidity of traditional open approaches, reduce length of stay, decrease tracheostomy and gastrostomy tube rates and de-escalate or obviate the need for chemoradiotherapy. Disease must be surgically resectable with negative margins and the technique is therefore most appropriate to small tumours. The procedures are described in detail, from setting up the equipment to the surgical procedures, and include many useful tips likely gained by personal experience. There is an accompanying set of four videos demonstrating the procedure from the initial incision to the dissection of the pharyngeal musculature. This is an excellent guide for robotic lateral oropharyngectomy for which robust outcome data is awaited.
In the future there will be robots
Reviewed by Charlie Giddings
Robotic approaches to the pharynx: tonsil cancer.
