Transoral robotic surgery: A contemporary cure for future maxillofacial surgery

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to conduct a critical literature review on transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to highlight the development, surgical set up, advantages and disadvantages, applications and outcomes of TORS in anatomic sites concerning a maxillofacial surgeon. Various resection tools employed in TORS were also studied.Materials, methods and resultsThe review was not conducted like a meta-analysis but was an overview of the selected topics. Electronic databases, primarily PubMed and Science direct, were referred to identify relevant studies published in English language between January 1990 and August 2015 using text words transoral robotic surgery and robot-assisted surgery. The publications included case reports and series, preclinical and clinical researches and review articles.DiscussionOral and maxillofacial surgeons today are increasingly getting involved in management of head and neck cancers and maxillofacial reconstructions. TORS, recent biomedical engineering advancement, is finding increasing application in these fields, particularly in maxillofacial oncology. It features use of a surgical robot to gain conservative access into pharyngolaryngeal surgical sites via oral cavity rather than employing more radical approaches. Potential advantages include better visualization and access to surgical sites via minimal invasion. With this technique, it is possible to overcome severe morbidities secondary to loss of large volumes of muscular tissue and organs associated with open surgery, thereby improving functional, cosmetic and oncologic outcomes.ConclusionTORS provides a novel treatment option to oral and maxillofacial surgeons for treating patients chiefly suffering from oropharyngeal cancer and obstructive sleep apnea.