Robotic Surgery in Head and Neck in Pediatric Population: Our Experience

Robotic-assisted surgery in the pediatric surgeons' world: Current situation and future prospectives

Robotic-assisted surgery has been fully embraced by surgeons for the adult population; however, its acceptance is too slow in the world of pediatric surgeons. It is largely due to the technical limitations and the inherent high cost associated with it. In the past two decades, indeed, there has been considerable advancement in pediatric robotic surgery. A large number of surgical procedures were performed on children with the assistance of robots, even with comparative success rates to standard laparoscopy. As a newly developing field, it still has many challenges and obstacles. This work is centered on the current status and progression of pediatric robotic surgery as well as the future perspectives in the field of pediatric surgery.

Postauricular Incision Versus Conventional Transcervical Incision in Second Branchial Cleft Cyst Excision: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Surgical removal is the treatment of choice for second branchial cleft cysts (SBCCs), which are congenital anomalies. The conventional procedure is performed through a transcervical approach, which would lead to a visible scar in the anterior neck. Conversely, the postauricular approach could keep the scar in the hairline or retroauricular sulcus, rendering it almost invisible after the surgery. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the differences between the postauricular and conventional transcervical approaches to SBCC excision. A systematic review was performed using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify studies comparing outcomes of SBCC surgery via postauricular and conventional transcervical approaches. The data of interest were analyzed with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (version 3). The data of interest were analyzed by calculating the risk difference (RD), the standardized mean difference, and the mean difference (MD) with the 95% confidence interval (CI). Three studies were eligible for the final analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated that the cosmetic satisfaction score was significantly higher with the postauricular approach (standardized mean difference, 2.12; 95% CI, 0.68–3.56). The operative duration was significantly longer with the postauricular approach than with the conventional transcervical approach (MD, 12.81; 95% CI, 2.39–23.23). The incidences of postoperative marginal mandibular nerve palsy (RD, 0.00; 95% CI, −0.09 to 0.09), bleeding complications (RD, −0.02; 95% CI, −0.09 to 0.05), salivary complications (RD, −0.00; 95% CI, −0.07 to 0.06), cyst size (MD, 0.02; 95% CI, −0.96–0.99), and length of hospital stay (MD, −2.50; CI, −7.30 to 2.30) were comparable between the 2 groups. The postauricular approach is feasible for use in SBCC excision and yields better cosmetic outcomes, a longer operative duration, and a similar rate of complications.

[The application of Da Vinci surgical system in pediatric otolaryngology head and neck surgery]

Da Vinci surgical system （DVSS）, a novel surgical technology, is gradually applied in various surgical operations due to its accuracy and safety. In adult Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, based DVSS the Transoral Robotic Surgery and neck robotic surgery have rich experience, and gradually being extended to pediatric with preferable initial results. The purpose of this article is to summarize the application of DVSS in pediatric otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery, and and to present future prospectives. Clinicians should actively learn to adopt new techniques and advantages of DVSS, and strive to improve the outcome of surgical treatment.

Experience in Transoral Robotic Surgery in Pediatric Subjects: A Systematic Literature Review

Pediatric transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has improved from 2007 to 2020, widening its indications and feasibility. This article aims to systematically analyze the procedures performed from the first use until the current year, observing their evolution over time. A systematic literature review was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases between March 1, 2000, and April 1, 2020. We selected studies that were written only in English and were performed in live human subjects. About 16 studies were found with a total of 73 subjects treated, among them 41 were men and 32 were women with an average age of 6.8 ± 4.99 years. There have been four (5.47%) conversions. Both functional and benign-malignant diseases have been treated in the series. Eleven (15.06%) pre-operative tracheostomy and zero post-operative tracheostomy were performed. The bleeding data was only reported in 9 studies and was <50 ml. Only one (1.36%) intra-operative complication and 10 (12.32%) postoperative complications were reported. We consider the TORS procedures in pediatric subjects safe, feasible and with good surgical outcomes up to the laryngeal region.