Is transoral robotic surgery a safe and effective multilevel treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea in obese patients following failure of conventional treatment(s)?

Can a flexible surgical robot be used in the pediatric population: A feasibility study

OBJECTIVES

Transoral robotic surgery in adults confers excellent results and decreased morbidity. Application of these techniques has not yet been rigorously investigated in children. The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a flexible robotic surgical system in a pediatric population.

METHODS

This was a non-randomized, non-blinded, prospective clinical trial. An Investigational Device Exemption was obtained from the FDA. Patients 8-12 years old scheduled for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy between February and December 2019 at an academic tertiary care children's hospital were included. Exclusion criteria included pulmonary or vascular conditions posing risks for extended anesthesia, or a smaller mouth opening than the instrumentation (28 mm × 15 mm). Tonsillectomy was completed with standard monopolar cautery. After the surgery was complete, the robot was utilized for evaluation and assessment of exposure. A pediatric anesthesiologist screened patients for tolerance of additional anesthesia (up to 15 min). A flexible robotic surgical system, the MedRobotics Flex® Robotic System, was used to visualize and access the tonsillar fossa, posterior pharynx, base of tongue, epiglottis and false vocal folds. Visualization and access were graded on a five-point Likert scale.

RESULTS

A total of ten patients, eight males and two females, with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or sleep disordered breathing (SDB) were recruited in 2019. One patient did not complete the study due to equipment malfunction. The average patient demographics were: age 10.1 years (8.6-11.8 years), height 142.4 cm (127-164.9 cm), weight 47.5 kg (24.4-84.5 kg), and BMI 22.6 (13.9-31.0). Study time averaged 10.3 min (5-13 min). The tonsillar fossa, base of tongue, and posterior pharynx were visualized completely and easily accessed with the robotic instruments. The epiglottis and false vocal folds were visualized and accessed in 66% and 55% of patients, respectively. There were no adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that a flexible robotic surgical system is feasible for use in children 8-12 years of age when performing otolaryngology - head and neck surgery procedures of the oropharynx and larynx.

Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients With Heart Failure

Sleep apnea is traditionally classified as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs when the upper airway collapses due to the relaxation of oropharyngeal musculature, and central sleep apnea occurs when the brainstem cannot stimulate breathing. Most sleep apnea in patients with heart failure (HF) results from coexisting OSA and central sleep apnea (CSA), or complex sleep apnea syndrome. OSA and CSA are common in HF and can be involved in its progression by exposure to the heart to intermittent hypoxia, increased preload and afterload, activating sympathetic, and decreased vascular endothelial function. A majority of treatments have been investigated in patients with CSA and HF; however, less or short-term randomized trials demonstrated whether treating OSA in patients with HF could improve morbidity and mortality. OSA could directly influence the patient's recovery. This review will focus on past and present studies on the various therapies for OSA in patients with HF and summarize CSA treatment options for reasons of reference and completeness. More specifically, the treatment covered include surgical and non-surgical treatments and reported the positive and negative consequences for these treatment options, highlighting possible implications for clinical practice and future research directions.

Robotic and Endoscopic Approaches to Head and Neck Surgery

Technological developments have disrupted the practice of medicine throughout history. Endoscopic and robotic techniques in head and neck surgery have emerged over the past half-century and have been incrementally adapted to expanding indications within otolaryngology. Robotic and endoscopic surgery have an established role in treatment of oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, reducing surgical morbidity and improving survival relative to traditional open approaches. Surgical treatment of human papillomavirus-mediated oropharyngeal cancer via transoral robotic surgery offers equivalent oncologic and functional outcomes relative to radiotherapy. Newer iterations of single-port robotic systems continue to expand the scope of robotics in head and neck surgery.

Transoral Robotic Surgery versus Plasma Ablation for Tongue Base Reduction in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effectiveness of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) versus plasma ablation (PA) in tongue base reduction surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, OVID.

REVIEW METHODS

Keywords searched included OSA, tongue base surgery, TORS, and coblation. Outcomes included pre- to postoperative apnea-hypopnea index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and lowest oxygen saturation. Additional outcomes included surgical success rate, postoperative bleeding, operative time, and length of stay.

RESULTS

A total of 690 unique articles were identified, of which 60 underwent full-text review. Twenty-six articles were included in final analysis, comprising 18 studies on TORS (834 patients) and 11 studies on PA (294 patients). Mean differences of apnea-hypopnea index, ESS, and lowest oxygen saturation for TORS were -23.92, -7.6, and 5.83% (all P < .01). Corresponding values for PA were -22.07, -4.14, and 5.48% (all P < .00001). TORS had greater ESS reduction than PA (P = .02). Follow-up duration was shorter in TORS than PA (mean ± SD: 4.2 ± 2.6 vs 4.6 ± 1.4 months, P = .0482). Surgical success rates in TORS and PA were similar (57.6% vs 60.3%, P = .4474). Postoperative bleeding occurred less frequently in TORS versus PA (3.3% vs 7.5%, P = .0103). Operative time was longer for TORS than PA (77.9 ± 16.4 minutes vs 44.0 ± 12.9 minutes, P < .0001). Length of stay was similar between TORS and PA (3.9 ± 1.6 days vs 3.9 ± 2.5 days, P = .9047).

CONCLUSION

Tongue base reduction with TORS or PA each effectively treats OSA and provides comparable results. The choice between techniques might depend on patient factors, availability of technology, and associated costs.

The Role of the Revised Stanford Protocol in Today's Precision Medicine

Whereas the original Stanford protocol relied on a tiered approach to care to avoid unnecessary surgery, it did not address the issue of surgical relapse, a common concern among sleep medicine specialists. With 3 decades of experience since the original 2-tiered Powell-Riley protocol was introduced and the role of evolving skeletal techniques and upper airway stimulation, we are pleased to present our current protocol. This update includes emphasis on the facial skeletal development with impact on function including nasal breathing, and the incorporation of upper airway stimulation. The increased versatility of palatopharyngoplasty as an adjunctive procedure is also discussed.

Robotics in otorhinolaryngology - head and neck surgery

A look at the past, present and future.

[Robotic Surgery - Who is The Boss?]

In the head and neck region, great potential is seen in robot-assisted surgery (RAS). Mainly in cancer surgery, the use of robotic systems seems to be of interest. Until today, two robotic systems (DaVinci® und FLEX®) have gained approval for clinical use in the head and neck region, and multiple other systems are currently in pre-clinical testing. Although, certain groups of patients may benefit from RAS, no unbiased randomized clinical studies are available. Until today, it was not possible to satisfactorily prove any advantage of RAS as compared to standard procedures. The limited clinical benefit and the additional financial burden seem to be the main reasons, why the comprehensive application of RAS has not been realized so far.This review article describes the large variety of clinical applications for RAS in the head and neck region. In addition, the financial and technical challenges, as well as ongoing developments of RAS are highlighted. Special focus is put on risks associated with RAS and current clinical studies. We believe, that RAS will find its way into clinical routine during the next years. Therefore, medical staff will have to increasingly face the technical, scientific and ethical features of RAS.