What´s new in PubMed this week
Virós Porcuna D, Suen KH, Stein H, Pollán Guisasola C. New Approaches for Robot-Assisted Neck Surgery: Clavicular and Submental Approaches Using the da Vinci SP System. J Craniofac Surg. 2024 May 29. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000010297. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38810240.
Our friends from “Can Ruti” (Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona, Barcelona) have been testing the feasibility of new remote access techniques to approach the neck with the da Vinci SP. Here is their pre-clinical experience in a cadaveric dissection.
Yang W, Cao Y, Wang S, Liu Z, Cheng H, Xie L. Development of a continuum manipulator with variable bending length and piecewise stiffness for transoral laryngeal surgery. Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2024 May 29. doi: 10.1007/s11548-024-03194-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38809318.
A basic development coming from Shanghai. Certainly we should like a flexible robot for the transoral approach. Medrobotics Flex, which was really just semi-robotic did no succeed, and, as far as I know, the is nothing of its type coming out in the next years.
Kornfeld B, Taha A, Kyang L, Sim HW, Dewhurst S, McCloy R, Chin V, Earls P, Parker A, Leavers B, Forstner D, Floros P, Crawford J, Gallagher R. Oncological outcomes post transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, a single-centre retrospective Australian study. J Robot Surg. 2024 May 28;18(1):226. doi: 10.1007/s11701-024-01910-0. PMID: 38806847; PMCID: PMC11133022.
Yes, please, go for surgery for patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer. The evidence is piling up. In every series at least a third of the patients will be “TORS alone”; most of them will be absolutely free of sequelae. Thank you, Richard (@throatsurgeon)
Shi Y, Wu X, Paydarfar JA, Halter RJ. An Imaging-Compatible Oral Retractor System for Transoral Robotic Surgery. Ann Biomed Eng. 2024 May 25. doi: 10.1007/s10439-024-03536-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38796669.
The topic of mouth-gags for TORS has become a nightmare. The FKWO was far from perfect, but enabled TORS to develop. Now, due to new regulatory policies in Europe, it is impossible to get one, and new TORS programs in Spain have met a “showstopper”. Therefore, every new development is welcome. But we need them in the market!!!
Gupta KK, De M, Athanasiou T, Georgalas C, Garas G. Quality of life outcomes comparing primary Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) with primary radiotherapy for early-stage oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2024 May 22;50(7):108434. doi: 10.1016/j.ejso.2024.108434. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38795678.
Thank you Birmingham for the review and meta-analysis. A different point of view on the topic above. What is your personal experience? What do patients tell in every day office?
Malik M, Daniel C, Faulkner J, Uddin J, Arora A, Jeannon JP. Robotic assisted orbital surgery for resection of advanced periocular tumours – a case series report on the feasibility, safety and outcome. Eye (Lond). 2024 Jun;38(8):1496-1501. doi: 10.1038/s41433-024-02932-6. Epub 2024 Feb 22. PMID: 38388832; PMCID: PMC11126675.
For sure the da Vinci Xi is not the ideal device for robotic orbital surgery. The problem is that the ideal device does not exist. So, again, thank you Guys and St Thomas for the courage.
J Granell. June 1, 2024.