Transoral robotic surgery for head and neck carcinomas

Utility of video fluoroscopic swallow study in advancing oral diet post TORS for oropharyngeal malignancies

OBJECTIVE

TORS is a minimally invasive surgical alternative to chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal malignancies. While early postoperative oropharyngeal dysphagia is linked to TORS, this study explores both subjective and objective swallowing outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective and prospective review of the patients who underwent TORS for oropharyngeal malignancy from 2018 to 2023.

SETTING

Single tertiary referral center.

METHODS

Postoperative transnasal feeding tubes were administered to 142 patients undergoing TORS. Data on oncological, clinical, surgical, and pathological parameters, including VFSS records, pain with swallow, and feeding tube removal timing, were collected. Clinical swallow exam (CSE) was conducted on POD-1, with a formal swallow study pursued if inconclusive. Once a safe swallow was confirmed, oral diets were initiated, and the feeding tube removed, with most patients discharged on POD-2.

RESULTS

At an average age of 59.3 years on the day of operation, the palatine tonsil (N = 101) was the predominant subsite. A dobhoff feeding tube was intraoperatively placed in 98 % of patients (N = 139). On POD-1, CSE was conducted in 119 patients, with 26 % (37/119) cleared for total oral diet (NOMS ≥ 4). Additionally, 30 out of 73 VFSS patients were cleared for total oral diet. A total of 54.9 % (78/142) had the feeding tube removed before discharge on POD-2, with a mean time of 6.5 ± 6.6 days. Overall, 71.1 % (101/142) achieved a total oral diet within one week after TORS.

CONCLUSION

Early post-TORS swallowing is vital for oropharyngeal malignancies. VFSS assesses post-operative swallowing safety, allowing most patients to resume total oral nutrition shortly after TORS.

Transoral robotic surgery for supraglottic cancer. A review of oncological and functional outcomes compared to open surgery

Objective

Supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents a major surgical challenge in organ-preserving treatment. Type I open partial horizontal laryngectomy (OPHL I) is considered the most popular. To date, minimally-invasive approaches such as laser microsurgery and transoral robotic surgery (TORS) have gained increasing relevance. The aim of this narrative review is to obtain a descriptive comparison of functional and oncological outcomes from studies on patients with supraglottic SCC treated with OPHL I and TORS, respectively.

Material and methods

A computerised search was performed using the Pubmed database for articles published from 2000 to 2023. A comparative analysis on functional and oncological outcomes of patients treated by TORS and OPHL I was performed.

Results

The present narrative review shows a superiority of TORS compared to open surgery for supraglottic SCC in terms of functional outcomes, while maintaining comparable oncological outcomes.

Conclusions

Although recently introduced in the treatment of laryngeal pathology, TORS has been shown to be a reliable technique not only for functional but also for oncological outcomes, ensuring good overall survival, disease-free survival, and disease control rates comparable to OPHL I.

Multi-organ segmentation of organ-at-risk (OAR's) of head and neck site using ensemble learning technique

INTRODUCTION

This paper presents a novel approach to automate the segmentation of Organ-at-Risk (OAR) in Head and Neck cancer patients using Deep Learning models combined with Ensemble Learning techniques. The study aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of OAR segmentation, essential for radiotherapy treatment planning.

METHODS

The dataset comprised computed tomography (CT) scans of 182 patients in DICOM format, obtained from an institutional image bank. Experienced Radiation Oncologists manually segmented seven OARs for each scan. Two models, 3D U-Net and 3D DenseNet-FCN, were trained on reduced CT scans (192 × 192 x 128) due to memory limitations. Ensemble Learning techniques were employed to enhance accuracy and segmentation metrics. Testing was conducted on 78 patients from the institutional dataset and an open-source dataset (TCGA-HNSC and Head-Neck Cetuximab) consisting of 31 patient scans.

RESULTS

Using the Ensemble Learning technique, the average dice similarity coefficient for OARs ranged from 0.990 to 0.994, indicating high segmentation accuracy. The 95% Hausdorff distance (mm) ranged from 1.3 to 2.1, demonstrating precise segmentation boundaries.

CONCLUSION

The proposed automated segmentation method achieved efficient and accurate OAR segmentation, surpassing human expert performance in terms of time and accuracy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This approach has implications for improving treatment planning and patient care in radiotherapy. By reducing manual segmentation reliance, the proposed method offers significant time savings and potential improvements in treatment planning efficiency and precision for head and neck cancer patients.

Preoperative predictors of difficult oropharyngeal exposure for transoral robotic surgery: The Pharyngoscore

BACKGROUND

Insufficient exposure may require termination of procedure in transoral robotic surgery (TORS). The aim of study was to develop a "Pharyngoscore" to quantify the risk of difficult oropharyngeal exposure (DOE) before TORS.

METHODS

Three-hundred six patients undergoing any surgical procedure at one Academic Hospital were prospectively enrolled. Oropharynx was exposed with Feyh-Kastenbauer retractor. Exposure was evaluated by direct and endoscopic visualization of the four oropharyngeal subsites. Preoperative clinical/anthropometric parameters were studied in good oropharyngeal exposure and DOE groups. Logistic regression was performed to explore association between clinical/anthropometric parameters and DOE. Statistically significant parameters at multivariate analysis were incorporated into a nomogram.

RESULTS

Sixty-five (21.2%) subjects were characterized by DOE. Variables associated with DOE at univariate analysis were male (p = 0.031), modified Mallampati Class (MMC) ≥ III (p < 0.001), smaller interincisor gap (p < 0.001), and larger neck circumference (p = 0.006). MMC, interincisor gap, and neck circumference were significant at multivariate analysis and were presented with a nomogram for creating the Pharyngoscore.

CONCLUSIONS

The Pharyngoscore is a promising tool for calculating DOE probability before TORS.

Comparison of TORS with Conventional Surgery for Oropharyngeal Carcinomas in T1-T4 Lesions

Objectives:

Transoral Robotic Simulation (TORS) is an innovative surgical technique indicated for resection of selected head-and-neck cancers. The authors conducted a systematic review discussing the indications, advantages, and disadvantages of this technique.

Data Sources:

The search included MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, COCHRANE, and bibliographies of relevant studies through January 2006.

Materials and Methods:

Studies included patients treated for T1–T4 stage oropharynx cancer with TORS. Study retrieval and data extraction were conducted in duplicate and resolved by consensus. Treatment specific details, as well as recurrence, survival, and adverse events, were collected. Methodological quality for each study was appraised.

Results:

Nine studies were included which met the inclusion criteria. Patients receiving TORS required adjuvant radiotherapy (26%) or chemoradiotherapy (41%). Two-year overall survival estimates ranged from 82% to 94% for TORS.

Conclusion:

The minimally invasive transoral robotic simulation (TORS) for the treatment of oropharyngeal cancers is proved to be less time-consuming, compliant to the patients, and having less complications as compared to the more invasive techniques involving conventional surgery although the quality of this evidence is limited.

A Contemporary Review of Evidence for Transoral Robotic Surgery in Laryngeal Cancer

Numerous studies have shown that transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal cancers is safe and that it yields satisfactory functional and oncological outcomes. For many teams worldwide, it is therefore a standard surgical approach with eligible patients. In the same time, TORS is increasingly being used and described in the context of laryngeal cancer surgery. It is proposed as an alternative to open approaches, which may yield inconsistent functional results and significant rates of postoperative complications. It may also be an alternative to definitive radiotherapy, which entails significant early and late toxicities. Moreover, it has been explored as an alternative to endoscopic laser surgery in patients with difficult exposure, even though there is still a lack of evidence about which procedure provides better vizualization of the vocal cords. This article provides a review of the indications for TORS in laryngeal cancer, the peri-operative morbidity, functional outcomes, and oncological results.

Revisiting vascular contraindications for transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer

Objective

We analyzed the outcomes for patients with a retropharyngeal internal carotid artery (ICA) who underwent a transoral robotic surgery (TORS) procedure involving a cervical‐transoral robotic oropharyngectomy course with free flap reconstruction.

Methods

Patients were included in the prospective multicentric trial NCT02517125. These patients were scheduled to undergo surgery for an oropharyngeal localization. By pre‐operative CT scan and MRI it was determined that they had a retropharyngeal internal carotid artery.

Results

Three patients had a retropharyngeal ICA: a patient with a 35 mm synovial sarcoma of the tonsillar fossa, a patient with a T2N2b squamous‐cell carcinoma (SCC) of the glossotonsillar sulcus, and a patient with a T3N0 SCC of the tonsillar fossa in a previously irradiated field. These patients encountered neither preoperative nor postoperative complications.

Conclusions

In our experience, TORS for oropharyngeal cancers appears to be feasible in patients with a retropharyngeal ICA, provided that the procedure has been adapted for complex situations.

Level of evidence

4.

Transoral robotic surgery for sellar tumors: first clinical study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to confirm the feasibility of an innovative transoral robotic surgery (TORS), using the da Vinci Surgical System, for patients with sellar tumors. This technique was designed to offer a new minimally invasive approach, without soft-palate splitting, that avoids the rhinological side effects of classic endonasal approaches.

METHODS

The authors performed a prospective study of TORS in patients with symptomatic sellar tumors. Specific anatomical features were required for inclusion in the study and were determined on the basis of preoperative open-mouth CT scans of the brain. The main outcome measure was sellar accessibility using the robot. Resection quality, mean operative time, postoperative changes in patients' vision, side effects, and complications were additionally reported.

RESULTS

Between February and May 2016, 4 patients (all female, mean age 49.5 years) underwent TORS for resection of sellar tumors as participants in this study. All patients presented with symptomatic visual deficits confirmed as bitemporal hemianopsia. All tumors had a suprasellar portion and a cystic part. In all 4 cases, the operation was performed via TORS, without the need for a second surgery. Sella turcica accessibility was satisfactory in all cases. In 3 cases, tumor resection was complete. The mean operative time was 2 hours 43 minutes. Three patients had a significant visual improvement at Day 1. No rhinological side effects or complications in patients occurred. No pathological examination was performed regarding the fluid component of the tumors. There was 1 postoperative delayed CSF leak and 1 case of transient diabetes insipidus. Side effects specific to TORS included minor sore throat, transient hypernasal speech, and 1 case of delayed otitis media. The mean length of hospital stay and mean follow up were 8.25 days and 82 days, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first report of the surgical treatment of sellar tumors by means of a minimally invasive TORS. This approach using the da Vinci Surgical System seems feasible and constitutes an innovative neurosurgical technique that may avoid the adverse side effects and technical disadvantages of the classic transsphenoidal route. Moreover, TORS allows an inferosuperior approach to the sella turcica, which is a key point, as the tumor is approached in the direction of its growth.

Robotic surgical systems in maxillofacial surgery: a review

Throughout the twenty-first century, robotic surgery has been used in multiple oral surgical procedures for the treatment of head and neck tumors and non-malignant diseases. With the assistance of robotic surgical systems, maxillofacial surgery is performed with less blood loss, fewer complications, shorter hospitalization and better cosmetic results than standard open surgery. However, the application of robotic surgery techniques to the treatment of head and neck diseases remains in an experimental stage, and the long-lasting effects on surgical morbidity, oncologic control and quality of life are yet to be established. More well-designed studies are needed before this approach can be recommended as a standard treatment paradigm. Nonetheless, robotic surgical systems will inevitably be extended to maxillofacial surgery. This article reviews the current clinical applications of robotic surgery in the head and neck region and highlights the benefits and limitations of current robotic surgical systems.

Early assessment of feasibility and technical specificities of transoral robotic surgery using the da Vinci Xi

The latest generation Da Vinci^® Xi™ Surgical System Robot released has not been evaluated to date in transoral surgery for head and neck cancers. We report here the 1-year results of a non-randomized phase II multicentric prospective trial aimed at assessing its feasibility and technical specificities. Our primary objective was to evaluate the feasibility of transoral robotic surgery using the da Vinci^® Xi™ Surgical System Robot. The secondary objective was to assess peroperative outcomes. Twenty-seven patients, mean age 62.7 years, were included between May 2015 and June 2016 with tumors affecting the following sites: oropharynx (n = 21), larynx (n = 4), hypopharynx (n = 1), parapharyngeal space (n = 1). Eighteen patients were included for primary treatment, three for a local recurrence, and six for cancer in a previously irradiated field. Three were reconstructed with a FAMM flap and 6 with a free ALT flap. The mean docking time was 12 min. "Chopsticking" of surgical instruments was very rare. During hospitalization following surgery, 3 patients experienced significant bleeding between day 8 and 9 that required surgical transoral hemostasis (n = 1) or endovascular embolization (n = 2). Transoral robotic surgery using the da Vinci^® Xi™ Surgical System Robot proved feasible with technological improvements compared to previous generation surgical system robots and with a similar postoperative course. Further technological progress is expected to be of significant benefit to the patients.

Preliminary study of transoral robotic surgery for pharyngeal cancer in Japan

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) with the da Vinci Surgical System has been used for the removal of pharyngeal and laryngeal cancers with the objective to improve functional and aesthetic outcomes without worsening survival. While TORS has been approved in many countries, Japan's FDA has not yet done so. Our hospital started using TORS with the approval of the Ethical Review Board and the Minimum Invasive Surgical Center Committee at Tottori University. No surgical outcomes of TORS for Japanese patients with head and neck cancer have been reported in Japan. This paper deals with the outcomes and feasibility of TORS for Japanese patients with pharyngeal cancer at our institution. TORS was performed for 10 patients with T1, T2, T3 oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma between 2013 and 2014. This is a single-institutional study. TORS could be completed for all cases, except one patient that was not candidate, and no intraoperative conversion to an open surgical procedure was required. Five patients underwent neck dissection, two of them concurrent and three staged. Of all patients, positive surgical margins were detected in two. The average blood loss including neck dissection was 21.5 ± 33.4 ml, the operation time was 183 ± 36 min and the console time was 103 ± 22 min. No tracheostomy had been performed either pre- or postoperatively, and there was no difference between preoperative and postoperative swallowing functions. In this single-institutional preliminary study, we demonstrated that TORS is a feasible and safe treatment. A clinical multi-institutional study of TORS for laryngopharyngeal cancer has been approved as an advanced medical system study and is under way. In the near future, it is expected that the efficacy and safety of TORS for laryngopharyngeal cancer will be confirmed as the result of this multiple-institutional clinical study in Japan.

Anatomical features of skull base and oral cavity: a pilot study to determine the accessibility of the sella by transoral robotic-assisted surgery

The role of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the skull base emerges and represents the natural progression toward miniinvasive resections in confined spaces. The accessibility of the sella via TORS has been recently described on fresh human cadavers. An anatomic study is mandatory to know if this approach would be feasible in the majority of patients regardless of their oral morphological features. From 30 skull base CT scans from patients who were asked to open their mouth as wide as they can, we measured specific dimensions of the oral cavity and the skull base, such as length of the palate, mouth opening and distance from the sella to the palate. All data were acquired on a sagittal midline plane and on a 25° rotation plane, which simulated the axis of the robotic instruments. Looking at the projection of the dental palatine line on the sella, we studied possible predictive factors of sellar accessibility and tried to bring objective data for surgical feasibility. We also proposed an angle α to study the working angle at the skull base. We observed that the maximal mouth opening was a good predictive factor of sellar accessibility by TORS (p < 0.05). The mouth aperture threshold value for a good sensitivity, over 80 %, was comparable to the mean value of mouth opening in our series, 38.9 and 39.4 mm respectively. Moreover, we showed a statistically significant increase of the working angle α at the skull base comparing the lateral access to the midline one (p < 0.05). This seemed to quantitatively demonstrate that the robotic arms placed at the labial commissure of the mouth can reach the sella. From these anatomical features and previous cadaveric dissections, we assume that TORS may be feasible on a majority of patients to remove pituitary adenomas.

Transoral robotic surgery versus conventional surgery in treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract

BACKGROUND

The purpose of our work was to compare a group of patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery (TORS group) for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract and a matched group of patients undergoing conventional surgery (conventional surgery group) for the same indication.

METHODS

In this retrospective single-center study, 26 patients were included in each group.

RESULTS

There were significantly fewer tracheotomies in the TORS group (p < .001). The mean durations of feeding by nasogastric tube and hospitalization were shorter for the TORS group (p = .001). There was no significant difference in disease-free survival at 3 years (p = .76). Mean treatment cost was $7124 lower for the TORS group (p = .03).

CONCLUSION

This comparative study shows that robotic technology can be used to treat selected squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract, reducing morbidity and treatment costs while providing equivalent cancer control at 3 years.

Assessment of margins in transoral laser and robotic surgery

The growing practice of endoscopic surgery has changed the therapeutic management of selected head and neck cancers. Although a negative surgical margin in resection of neoplasm is the most important surgical principle in oncologic surgery, controversies exist regarding assessment and interpretation of the status of margin resection. The aim of this review was to summarize the literature considering the assessment and feasibility of negative margins in transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and transoral robotic surgery (TORS). Free margin status is being approached differently in vocal cord cancer (1-2 mm) compared with other sites in the upper aerodigestive tract (2-5 mm). Exposure, orientation of the pathological specimen, and co-operation with the pathologist are crucial principles needed to be followed in transoral surgery. Piecemeal resection to better expose deep tumor involvement and biopsies taken from surgical margins surrounding site of resection can improve margin assessment. High rates of negative surgical margins can be achieved with TLM and TORS. Adjuvant treatment decision should take into consideration also the surgeon's judgment with regard to the completeness of tumor resection.

[Principles of larynx surgery and nurse surveillance]

Endoscopic transoral surgical techniques have developed, adapted to forms of early stage larynx cancer. A total laryngectomy remains the only treatment for patients suffering from an advanced stage cancer which is not receptive to organ preservation strategies. For all these patients, nurse surveillance combines technical and relational care.

Transoral robotic surgery in the management of head and neck tumours

The article reviews the use of robotic technology for head and neck tumours. The authors discuss the development of transoral robotic surgery (TORS), the current status of the technology, and the set-up in the operating room. The article provides a review of the literature, highlighting the applications, advantages, functional outcomes, and disadvantages of TORS for each anatomic subsite (oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, parapharyngeal space, and skull base). New challenges related to reconstruction are also presented. Overall early functional and oncologic outcome data are promising; further long-term prospective trials are still needed to confirm the oncological safety of TORS.

Head and neck cancer: causes, prevention and treatment

Abstract

Although head and neck carcinoma ranks fifth among cancer types, patient survival rates have not changed significantly over the past years.

Objective

To determine the risk factors, causes, therapies, and prevention measures for head and neck cancer.

Method

Risk factors, causes, therapies, and preventive measures for this disease were searched on databases PUBMED, MEDLINE, and SciELO.

Results

Alcohol and tobacco are still atop risk factors. Other factors may influence the development of head and neck carcinoma. Surgery is the main treatment option, and the addition of radiotherapy following surgery is frequent for patients in the early stages of the disease. Other therapies target specific genetic molecular components connected to tumor development. Disease preventive measures include smoking cessation, limiting alcohol intake, preventing exposure to tobacco smoke and environmental carcinogenic agents, early detection of infection by HPV, maintaining oral health, good eating habits, and managing stress.

Conclusion

Additional research is needed for a more thorough understanding of the development of head and neck carcinomas and to shed light on new ways to improve therapeutic approaches and interventions.