Development of a transoral robotic surgery program in Canada.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Nichols AC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3650936 | biostudies-other | 2013 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Publications
Development of a transoral robotic surgery program in Canada.
Nichols Anthony C AC Fung Kevin K Chapeskie Corina C Dowthwaite Samuel A SA Basmaji John J Dhaliwal Sandeep S Szeto Christopher C T CC Palma David A DA Theurer Julie A JA Corsten Martin A MA Odell Michael M Barrett John W JW Franklin Jason H JH Yoo John J
Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale 20130201
Due to significant differences in healthcare structure between the United States and Canada, there are unique barriers to adopting new medical technology in Canada. In this article, we describe our experience developing a transoral robotic surgery (TORS) program at Western University. Specifically, we outline the steps that were necessary to obtain institutional and multidisciplinary team approval, financial support, as well as surgeon and allied healthcare personnel training. This experience ca ...[more]
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Project description:Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has emerged as a technique that allows head and neck surgeons to safely resect large and complex oropharyngeal tumors without dividing the mandible or performing a lip-split incision. These resections provide a reconstructive challenge because the cylinder of the oropharynx remains closed and both physical access and visualization of oropharyngeal anatomy is severely restricted. Transoral robotic reconstruction (TORRS) of such defects allows the reconstructive surgeon to inset free flaps or perform adjacent tissue transfer while seeing what the resecting surgeon sees. Early experience with this technique has proved feasible and effective. Robotic reconstruction has many distinct advantages over conventional surgery, and offers patients a less morbid surgical course. In this review, we discuss the clinical applicability of transoral robotic surgery in head and neck reconstruction, highlighting the benefits and limitations of such an approach, and outlining the guidelines for its utilization.
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Project description:BACKGROUND:To report our experience of postoperative haemorrhage in patients following transoral robotic surgery (TORS). METHODS:Data were collected on patients having TORS. Postoperative haemorrhage within 30 days was graded using the Mayo Clinic grading system. RESULTS:Transoral robotic surgery operations were performed on 122 patients. There were 23 bleeding events classified as minor to severe following 19 operations (16%). Haemorrhage requiring a return to the operating room occurred after 7 operations (6%). The odds of an emergent haemorrhage were 5.19 times greater in patients who had a staged neck dissection after TORS (P = .05). The odds of a postoperative bleeding event were 2.6 times greater in patients receiving a larger resection (P = .107). There were no haemorrhage events in the 36 patients who received a synchronous neck dissection with transcervical ligation of the external carotid artery. CONCLUSIONS:Surgical intervention for TORS haemorrhage occurred in 6% patients. No haemorrhage occurred in patients who had ligation of the external carotid artery.
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Project description:This study describes the potential application of intraoperative ultrasound imaging during transoral robotic surgery (TORS).Ultrasound imaging was performed during transoral robotic resection of oropharyngeal tumors in 10 patients at a tertiary academic center. Ultrasound imaging was utilized to identify large-caliber vessels adjacent to the surgical site. Measurements were also taken on the ultrasound of tumor thickness to determine the deep margin. Following resection, the tumor was sectioned, and a gross measurement of the tumor thickness was obtained.Intraoperative ultrasound use led to the identification of larger-caliber blood vessels within the operative field prior to encountering them visually. Ultrasound could also aid in defining deep tumor margins; the tumor thickness measured via ultrasound was found to be accurate within 1 to 2 mm of the grossly measured tumor thickness. This allowed for focused, careful dissection to protect and avoid blood vessels during dissection as well as improved tumor resection.The use of intraoperative ultrasound provides additional information to the head and neck surgeon during TORS. This may be used to identify blood vessels and assess tumor margins, thereby improving the safety and efficacy of TORS.
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Project description:This article outlines the ways that transoral robotic surgery and transoral laser microsurgery relate to treatment de-escalation in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Treatment de-escalation has particular importance in context of human papillomavirus-related oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma, which responds well to therapy but leaves many survivors with decades of treatment-related sequelae. We compare these less invasive transoral approaches with previously used open approaches to the oropharynx. We discuss the topic of treatment de-escalation in human papillomavirus-related disease and outline completed and ongoing clinical trials investigating the choice of primary treatment modality and de-escalation of adjuvant therapy.
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Project description:Large patient cohorts are necessary to validate the efficacy of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the management of head and neck cancer.To review oncologic outcomes of TORS from a large multi-institutional collaboration and to identify predictors of disease recurrence and disease-specific mortality.A retrospective review of records from 410 patients undergoing TORS for laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2012, was performed. Pertinent data were obtained from 11 participating medical institutions.Select patients received radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy before or after TORS.Locoregional control, disease-specific survival, and overall survival were calculated. We used Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank testing to evaluate individual variable association with these outcomes, followed by multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazards regression modeling to identify independent predictors.Of the 410 patients treated with TORS in this study, 364 (88.8%) had oropharyngeal cancer. Of these 364 patients, information about post-operative adjuvant therapy was known about 338: 106 (31.3) received radiation therapy alone, and 72 (21.3%) received radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy. Neck dissection was performed in 323 patients (78.8%). Mean follow-up time was 20 months. Local, regional, and distant recurrence occurred in 18 (4.4%), 15 (3.7%), and 10 (2.4%) of 410 patients, respectively. Seventeen (4.1%) died of disease, and 13 (3.2%) died of other causes. The 2-year locoregional control rate was 91.8% (95% CI, 87.6%-94.7%), disease-specific survival 94.5% (95% CI, 90.6%-96.8%), and overall survival 91% (95% CI, 86.5%-94.0%). Multivariate analysis identified improved survival among women (P = .05) and for patients with tumors arising in tonsil (P = .01). Smoking was associated with worse overall all-cause mortality (P = .01). Although advanced age and tobacco use were associated with locoregional recurrence and disease-specific survival, they, as well as tumor stage and other adverse histopathologic features, did not remain significant on multivariate analysis.This large, multi-institutional study supports the role of TORS within the multidisciplinary treatment paradigm for the treatment of head and neck cancer, especially for patients with oropharyngeal cancer. Favorable oncologic outcomes have been found across institutions. Ongoing comparative clinical trials funded by the National Cancer Institute will further evaluate the role of robotic surgery for patients with head and neck cancers.
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Project description:Background: Transoral thyroid surgery represented by the da Vinci system is attracted attention and performed by several institutions. However, the current available da Vinci system still has some limitations to be improved for transoral thyroid surgery including high cost of equipment and expendables, larger diameter scope and instruments and no tactile sensation. It triggered us interest in more easily available robotic scope holder. Soloassist II (AktorMed GmbH, Barbing, Germany) is an active endoscope holder system which is controlled by a joystick. It has total six joints: three joints which are controlled by computer, one is controlled by manual and two act as a gimbal joint following the movement of the main body.Materials and methodsWe tried transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy using Soloassist II (AktorMed GmbH, Barbing, Germany) in December 2017 in our hospital.ResultsWe successfully performed four thyroid lobectomies in four patients with Soloassist II. We refined and described surgical procedures in each step using video clips. It provided an excellent vibration-free stable surgical view which enabled fatigue-free work, without shaking or tilting the horizon. The surgeon could perform transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery with only one assistant surgeon. Docking and preparation time for Soloassist was within 10 min in all four patients. The setup and dismantling could be performed parallel to the usual workflow. No complication was reported by any patient.Conclusions: The robotic scope holder (Soloassist II) seems to be safe and feasible equipment for performing transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery. Several possible advantages could be expected with this robotic scope holder.
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