Until recently, robotic surgery in Head&Neck was almost synonymous with da Vinci. The vast majority of our clinical experience in Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) and remote access to the neck has been developed with successive generations of the da Vinci platform. Intuitive has played a fundamental role in establishing robotic surgery in our specialty, and most important, has demonstrated the clinical value. But the landscape has changed dramatically.
Today, there are many robotic platforms competing for a place in soft-tissue surgery. Some are already clinically established; others are entering new markets or developing their regulatory pathways. And this is where things become confusing. CE marking or FDA clearance does not necessarily mean approval for Head&Neck Surgery.
The situation with the da Vinci 5 illustrates the point. Although it represents the latest generation of the platform, Intuitive has not pursued a specific TORS indication for it, while the da Vinci SP remains the platform specifically cleared for TORS. Many surgeons see this as a commercial strategy designed, at least in part, to encourage hospitals to choose the SP. Whether that is the actual intention of Intuitive is impossible to know. What is clear is that the strategy is not necessarily ideal from the perspective of Head&Neck surgeons.
So, where do we actually stand? This overview tries to simplify the increasingly complex landscape, distinguishing between regulatory approval, general clinical availability, and actual Head&Neck/TORS experience. And there is an important caveat: a robot appearing on this list does not mean that it is approved for TORS or even for Head&Neck Surgery. Some platforms have only been used in research or experimental settings.
The number of robots is growing rapidly. But again, the real question is not how many robots we have, but how many can actually deliver meaningful clinical value in Head&Neck Surgery.
J Granell. Sept 3, 2026
Learn more on the devices:
