Robot-assisted excision of the submandibular gland by a postauricular facelift approach: comparison with the conventional transcervical approach

Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Submandibular Gland in a 10-Year-Old Child: A Case Report

We report the case of a 10-year-old girl with a painless slowly growing mass that had developed over the course of 2 years in the left submandibular area. Physical examination revealed a firm painless submandibular mass with no other associated signs. Ultrasound graphics were in favor of a sebaceous cyst. Fine-needle aspiration and magnetic resonance images (MRI) concluded to a pleomorphic adenoma of the submandibular gland. The patient underwent left submandibulectomy. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma arising from the submandibular gland. The postoperative course was uneventful. Pleomorphic adenoma of the submandibular gland represents a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma in children. Preoperative evaluation, including MRI and fine-needle aspiration, is recommended. Total submandibulectomy is also recommended to minimize recurrences and to avoid malignant transformation.

A facelift procedure for resection of a branchial cleft cysts

OBJECTIVES

Branchial cleft cysts (BCCs) are common in daily practice, however, BCC patients suffer aesthetic problems due to postoperative scars on visible parts after surgery. To analyze the feasibility, surgical outcomes and possible risks and complications encountered during a facelift procedure for patients with BCC.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis examined patients who had undergone surgery for branchial cleft cyst using a facelift procedure (n = 16) or conventional transcervical resection (n = 20) at our institutes between April 2015 and August 2021.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the groups that underwent the facelift procedure or conventional transcervical resection as to the average size of the cysts, operating time, bleeding, drain out, or recurrence. None of the patients needed to switch from the facelift procedure to conventional transcervical resection. In all the patients in the facelift procedure group, postoperative scars were fully concealed by the auricle and hair. However, four patients in the facelift procedure group experienced a transient auricular complication after surgery.

CONCLUSION

The facelift procedure provides adequate visualization, workspace and excellent cosmetic results in suitably selected cases with BCC.

Postauricular incision versus conventional transcervical incision in submandibular gland excision: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Surgical removal of the submandibular gland is indicated for different conditions affecting the gland, such as neoplasm, sialadenitis, and sialolithiasis, and different types of surgical approaches have been reported. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the differences between the postauricular approach and conventional transcervical approach in submandibular gland excision. A systematic review was performed using PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library to identify studies comparing outcomes of submandibular gland surgery via the postauricular approach and conventional transcervical approach. The data of interest were analyzed with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (version 3; Biostat, Englewood, NJ). Dichotomous data and continuous data were analyzed by calculating the risk difference (RD) and the mean difference (MD) with the 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively. The results show that the postauricular incision is a feasible approach to access the submandibular gland, and compared with the conventional transcervical approach, it requires a longer operative duration but has a similar complication rate and yields better cosmetic outcomes.

Contemporary Review of Submandibular Gland Sialolithiasis and Surgical Management Options

One of the most common disorders of the salivary glands is obstructive sialolithiasis. Salivary gland obstruction is important to address, as it can significantly impact patient quality of life and can progress to extensive cellulitis and abscess formation if left untreated. For small and accessible stones, conservative therapies often produce satisfactory outcomes. Operative management should be considered when stones are inaccessible or larger in size, and options include sialendoscopy, laser lithotripsy, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, transoral surgery, and submandibular gland adenectomy. Robotic approaches are also becoming increasingly used for submandibular stone management. The purpose of this review is to summarize the modern-day management of submandibular gland obstructive sialolithiasis with an emphasis on operative treatment modalities. A total of 77 articles were reviewed from PubMed and Embase databases, specifically looking at the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of submandibular sialolithiasis.

Patient Benefit and Quality of Life after Robot-Assisted Head and Neck Surgery

Robotic systems for head and neck surgery are at different stages of technical development and clinical application. Currently, robotic systems are predominantly used for transoral surgery of the pharynx and larynx. Robotic surgery of the neck, the thyroid, and the middle and inner ear is much less common; however, some oncological and functional outcomes have been reported. This article provides an overview of the current state of robot-assisted head and neck surgery with a special emphasis on patient benefit and postoperative quality of life (QoL). The focus is placed on the role of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for the resection of oropharyngeal carcinomas. For this application, reported long-term outcomes show functional post-operative advantages for selected oropharyngeal cancer patients after TORS compared to open surgery and primary radiotherapy. Since TORS also plays a significant role in the context of potential therapy de-escalation for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer patients, ongoing trials are presented. Regarding the evaluation of the therapeutic benefit and the QoL of cancer patients, special attention has to be paid to the large degree of variability of individual patients' preferences. Influencing factors and tools for a detailed assessment of QoL parameters are therefore detailed at the beginning of this article. Notably, while some robotic systems for ear and skull base surgery are being developed in Europe, TORS systems are mainly used in North America and Asia. In Europe and Germany in particular, transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) is a well-established technology for transoral tumor resection. Future trials comparing TORS and TLM with detailed investigation of QoL parameters are therefore warranted and might contribute to identifying suitable fields for the application of the different techniques.

Robotic Management of Salivary Glands

There are numerous salivary gland pathologies for which robotic surgery can provide benefit. This article reviews the primary indications for use of transoral robotic surgery for salivary gland neoplasms. It also discusses transoral and retroauricular robotic approaches for pathology of the submandibular gland and prestyloid parapharyngeal space. These approaches have the advantage of avoiding a visible scar and are additionally minimally invasive in other ways as well. Robotic surgery offers advantages in several different modules of salivary gland surgery, similar to those it offers for oropharyngeal cancer, including improved optics, manual dexterity, and teamwork.

Transoral robotic submandibular sialadenectomy: how and when

Traditional removal of the submandibular gland is done through a transcervical approach; new proposals have come into the scientific limelight such as endoscopy-assisted transcervical sialadenectomy or (robot-assisted) submandibular sialadenectomy through a postauricular facelift transcervical approach. Transoral submandibular sialadenectomy has been described in the past, but with the advent of transoral robotic surgery, the proposal of removing the submandibular gland from the oral floor is gaining strength. A transoral robotic submandibular sialadenectomy by the Si Da Vinci Surgical Robot was performed in a 68-years-old female patient under general anaesthesia. The transoral robotic procedure was successful with no major postoperative complications. A mild tingling of the tip of the tongue was described by the patient 3 months after. The surgical time took 110 minutes. No residual gland was observed at ultrasonography. The transoral robotic submandibular sialadenectomy seems to be, with selective indication based on clinical and radiological assessment, a viable and safe alternative to traditional management in patients who refuse a cervical scar and the risk of paralysis of the facial nerve.

Robot-assisted excision of thyroglossal duct cyst by a postauricular facelift approach

Introduction

A trend towards robotic scarless surgery using remote site incisions has developed in head and neck surgery for better cosmetic outcomes. We have carried out robot-assisted excision of thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDC) by a postauricular facelift approach to avoid visible scars in the central neck related to the trans-cervical Sistrunk operation.

Aim

To evaluate the technical feasibility and safety of robot-assisted excision of TGDC by a postauricular facelift approach.

Material and methods

Six patients who underwent robot-assisted excision of TGDC by a postauricular facelift approach were analyzed.

Results

The robotic procedures were done successfully in all patients, without any conversion to a trans-cervical approach or incomplete removal of the lesions. In terms of cosmetic satisfaction, three patients were "very satisfied" and three were "satisfied".

Conclusions

Robot-assisted Sistrunk operations for TGDC by a postauricular facelift approach are feasible and safe and yield excellent postoperative cosmesis.

Robotic and Endoscopic Thyroid Surgery: Evolution and Advances

To minimize surgical morbidity and neck scarring, minimally invasive thyroidectomy and robotic/endoscopic thyroidectomy via cervical, axillary, anterior chest, breast, postauricular or transoral approaches have been developed over the past 20 years. In this article, we review the evolution of robotic and endoscopic thyroid surgery and recent advances. Among remote access approaches, the gasless transaxillary approach, bilateral axillo-breast approach, postauricular facelift approach, and transoral vestibular approach are in common use today. Each procedure has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, we need to understand these advantages and limitations, and to select the appropriate method for each patient. The most significant advantage of remote access thyroidectomy is its excellent cosmesis. The complication rate is similar in patients undergoing a remote access approach and those undergoing conventional surgery if the former is performed by experienced surgeons. Operative time is significantly longer in remote access thyroidectomy. In conclusion, remote access thyroidectomy is feasible and its outcomes are comparable to those of conventional transcervical thyroidectomy in highly selected patients.