Retractors for Transoral Robotic Surgery

With the introduction of endoscopic and transoral robotic approaches (TORS) to lesions of the head and neck, larger surgical approaches such as a lip-split mandibulotomy, lateral pharyngotomy, or transhyoid approach can be avoided for oropharyngeal and laryngeal lesions. TORS has made significant advances over the past 10+ years and is a viable option in the surgical treatment of benign and malignant lesions of these sites. However, to be a viable alternative to open surgery, one of the major requirements of TORS is obtaining adequate exposure of the surgical site, allowing for visualization of and access to the lesion to be excised. Without this, it is not possible to place instruments through the oral cavity in a manner that safely maximizes the use of the increased dexterity. While the majority of TORS surgeons use the da Vinci robot (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA), more recent advances in robotic technology have brought devices to the market that are designed with the head and neck surgeon in consideration, such as the Medrobotics Flex robot (Medrobotics, Raynham, MA).