Oncological, Surgical and Functional Outcomes of Transoral Robotic Cordectomy for Early Glottic Carcinoma

Laryngeal Cancer Surgery: History and Current Indications of Transoral Laser Microsurgery and Transoral Robotic Surgery

The development of transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) was an important step in the history of conservative laryngeal surgery. TLM reported comparable oncological outcomes and better functional postoperative and rehabilitation outcomes than open partial laryngectomy. TLM is currently considered as the standard surgical approach for early-stage laryngeal carcinoma. However, TLM has many limitations, including the limited view of the surgical field through the laryngoscope, exposure difficulties for some tumor locations, and a long learning curve. The development of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) appears to be an important issue to overcome these limitations. The current robotic technologies used in surgery benefited from the research of the U.S. Military and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1970s and 1980s. The first application in humans started in the 2000s with the first robotic-assisted cholecystectomy in the US, performed by a surgeon located in France. The use of robots in otolaryngology occurred after the development of the Da Vinci system in digestive surgery, urology, and gynecology, and mainly concerns cT1-T2 and some selected cT3 oropharyngeal and supraglottic carcinomas. With the development of a new robotic system with smaller arms and instruments, TORS indications will probably evolve in the next few years, leading to better outcomes for laryngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinomas.

Transoral robotic cordectomy for glottic carcinoma: a rapid review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate feasibility, surgical, oncological, and functional outcomes of transoral robotic cordectomy (TORS-Co) and whether TORS-Co reported comparable outcomes of transoral laser microsurgery (TLM).

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched by three laryngologists for studies investigating feasibility, surgical, oncological, and functional outcomes of patients benefiting from TORS-Co. The following outcomes were investigated according to the PRISMA statements: age; cT stage; types of cordectomy; surgical settings; complications; and functional and feasibility features.

RESULTS

Nine studies published between 2009 and 2021 met our inclusion criteria, accounting for 114 patients. There was no controlled study. TORS-Co was performed in cT1 or cT2 glottic cancer through types II, III, IV, V, or VI cordectomies. The exposure was inadequate in 4% of cases, leading to conversion in transoral laser cordectomy. Margins were positive in 4.5% and local recurrence occurred in 10.7% (N = 8/75). Tracheotomy and feeding tube requirement varied across studies, depending on the types of TORS-Co. The mean duration of robot installation/vocal cord exposure and operative times ranged from 20 to 42 min and 10 to 40 min, respectively. The mean duration of hospital stay ranged from 2 to 7 days. Complications included dyspnea, bleeding, granuloma, synechia, and tongue hematoma and dysesthesia.

CONCLUSION

The current robotic systems do not appear adequate for TORS-Co. TORS-Co was associated with higher rates of complications and tracheotomy than TLM.