Management of laryngoceles by transoral robotic surgery.

We herein report our experience with the management of laryngoceles using transoral robotic surgery (TORS). A bicentric retrospective study was conducted from November 2009 to September 2015. The inclusion criteria were treatment of a laryngocele by TORS and no malignancy on definitive histopathology. Surgery was performed using the Da Vinci (Intuitive®) surgical robot. Surgical methods and post-operative outcomes were evaluated. Eight patients (four men and four women) presenting with a laryngocele (one bilateral case) were included (mean age 61.8 years). There was one covering tracheotomy. The average post-operative stay was 3.75 days. Three patients treated for a combined laryngocele had a nasogastric feeding tube inserted for 5 days. One patient experienced late laryngeal bleeding that required surgical treatment. TORS may offer an efficient treatment option for laryngoceles. The use of precise and flexible instruments and a three-dimensional camera allow fine dissection of these tumours, preserving the glottic space and vocal function, even for combined laryngoceles extending deep within the neck.Evidence level: 4.

Transoral robotic surgery versus conventional surgery in treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of our work was to compare a group of patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery (TORS group) for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract and a matched group of patients undergoing conventional surgery (conventional surgery group) for the same indication. METHODS: In this retrospective single-center study, 26 patients were included in each group. RESULTS: There were significantly fewer tracheotomies in the TORS group (p < .001). The mean durations of feeding by nasogastric tube and hospitalization were shorter for the TORS group (p = .001). There was no significant difference in disease-free survival at 3 years (p = .76). Mean treatment cost was $7124 lower for the TORS group (p = .03). CONCLUSION: This comparative study shows that robotic technology can be used to treat selected squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract, reducing morbidity and treatment costs while providing equivalent cancer control at 3 years.