LARS

Laryngeal Advanced Retractor System

LARS pharyngolaryngoscope was designed by Marc Remacle to meet the requirements of transoral surgery, including TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS). The original LARS was quite obviously based on the FKWO. Marc Remacle and Georges Lawson were already experts and well known transoral surgeons when they were introduced into TORS by Greg Weinstein. With time, they clearly saw some of the problems with the FKWO. So LARS did not just have the same basic design, but also the same underlying philosophy.

For years, the FKWO retractor system was the cornerstone of such procedures. Following its discontinuation by Olympus, the field was left without a truly equivalent replacement. The release of the LARS 2.0 by FENTEX Medical introduced a significantly improved, modular system that addressed many of the limitations of both the original LARS and the FKWO. LARS 2.0 currently stands as the most complete and advanced transoral retractor system on the market.

References

Remacle M, Matar N, Lawson G, Bachy V. Laryngeal advanced retractor system: a new retractor for transoral robotic surgery. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2011;145:694-696.

Granell J, Granados J, Fernandez-Rastrilla I, Lopez-Tello H, Haro C, Gutierrez Fonseca R. LARS 2.2 Pharynglaryngoscope: advancing transoral surgical exposure in the post-FKWO era. 76 Congreso Nacional de la SEORL-CCC.Madrid, 22-25 oct 2025

LARS