Transoral robotic surgery for supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma ★

PurposeWe present our experience with the use of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for treatment of supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma.Materials and MethodsWe studied all patients who underwent TORS for supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma, with or without adjuvant therapy, from March 2007 through June 2009, who had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. Primary functional outcomes included dysphonia, tracheostomy dependence, and gastrostomy tube dependence. Disease control and survival were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsOf 9 patients in the study group, 7 (78%) had advanced-stage disease. All 9 patients had negative margins after TORS, with no perioperative complications. Regional recurrence and local recurrence developed in 1 patient each. One patient died of disease. At last follow-up, 7 patients (78%) were tracheostomy free, and 7 (78%) were gastrostomy tube free.ConclusionsTransoral robotic surgery is a promising modality for resection of supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma. Transoral robotic surgery achieved functional laryngeal preservation in most patients with no complications.