Transoral Robotic Surgery for Tonsillar Cancer

The introduction of robotic-assisted surgery in tonsillar cancer has allowed more advanced and extensive tumors to be treated with surgery. The transoral approach avoids the morbidity of an open procedure while still achieving complete oncologic resection, including margins. The magnified three-dimensional view along with the use of angled endoscopic cameras with 360° radius provides visualization beyond the tonsillar fossa to the great vessels laterally, the palate and nasopharynx superiorly, and the tongue base inferiorly, which could not be achieved using traditional transoral headlight or operative microscope alone.