Transoral Robotic Surgery

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is emerging as a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery, or conventional transoral minimally invasive surgery, that is, transoral laser surgery, for the treatment of some head and neck pathologies. The introduction of TORS has resulted in an increase in the use of surgery to the upper aerodigestive tract. This chapter discusses the da Vinci robotic surgical system, the TORS setup, the indications and contraindications, postoperative care, and complications related to TORS when it is used for head and neck cancers. It also discusses the surgical training required for TORS and the challenges of this approach. The main robotic system currently used in head and neck surgery worldwide is the da Vinci robotic surgical platform. This system consists of three components: the surgeon's console, the patient-side cart, and the vision cart. In the postoperative period, all TORS patients will experience a degree of pain, swelling, and dysphagia.