Mayo Clinic Study Finds Transoral Robotic Surgery Safe and Effective In Treating Some Throat Cancers

A new Mayo Clinic study found that the use of transoral robotic surgery for the treatment of tonsil and base of tongue cancers is safe, effective and enables faster recovery times.

The results of this research were even more positive than we expected. We found great advantages to using transoral robotic surgery for tonsil and base of tongue cancers, says Eric Moore, M.D. study author and a head and neck surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. There were no major complications, no tumor recurrence and, when compared to traditional surgeries, patients began swallowing on their own sooner and left the hospital sooner.

Dr. Moore and his team performed transoral robotic surgery to remove tumors in 45 patients. The average hospital stay for these patients was 2.3 days, as compared with seven to 10 days for traditional surgery. Additionally, the removal of feeding tubes in patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery occurred an average of seven to 10 days after surgery, compared with two to three months for traditional surgery.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Mayo Clinic
• Throat Cancer
• Robotic Surgery
• Treatment
• Moore

[deeceeba1]

my mother has cancer in the back of her mouth which she had 20 years ago and has radiation, but does it matter the age of the patient ? thanks Dee

[mayoclinic]

@deeceeba1 Thank you for your question. In order to give you the best answer, would you please clarify the question? Not sure if you are referring to her age now and treatment options available or her age when she was diagnosed. Thank you.

[playsurf]

Dr. Moore,

Thanks for your respond.

I did some research and there are a couple of ways do to the procedure to remove the Styloid bone and the ossified stylohyoid ligament.

Do you recommend the external or the internal procedure to remove it?

Thanks so much,

L

[mayoclinic]

@playsurf Usually internal unless there is some altered anatomy that would make internal removal difficult or dangerous. Dr. Moore

[playsurf]

Dr. Moore,

I have an Ossification of the stylohyoid ligament ossified

ligament overall measures 3.5 cm in length from its origin at the tip

of the left styloid process.

The stylohyoid ligament is very visible and it is pressing against my esophagus.

I am in a lot of pain, I get spasms, it is hard to swallow and talk.

I am wondering if the TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS) can take out the stylohyoid ligament?

Thanks for you time,

L

[mayoclinic]

@playsurf This is called eagles syndrome, and many people operate on this by removing the styloid process. We do not do this with the robot as there is no good way to cut bone with the instruments that are available robotically right now. Dr. Moore

[171431]

my mother has tongue based cancer/multiple myeloma. She resides in another country where her treatments are covered by insurance over there, but not here. How much does the trans oral surgery cost. I thought if she can get the surgery here,(I don't think is available over there) and continue with other treatments back in our country it would be beneficial for her.

[3lhc]

@playsurf

Dr. Jason Newman at UPENN in Philadelphia surgically treated me for Eagles syndrome with TORS and was successful!!

[3lhc]

@playsurf

Dr. Jason Newman at UPENN treated me for Eagles syndrome with TORS and was successful!!

[playsurf]

@mayoclinic Thanks so much. I am looking for the internal removal, but the hospital I went to only does the external surgery.