Robotics for Head and Neck

Throat tumours, especially those of the tonsils and base of the tongue, have become very common. These tumours require extensive, invasive surgeries that included removal or splitting of the lower jaw and a micro vascular transfer of bone or soft tissue to reconstruct the area. More recently, minimally invasive procedures with laser and telescopes are used to remove throat-related tumours.

Head and neck and several airway procedures have been associated with large surgical dissection and associate large surgical incisions. Surgical treatment options for the complex head and neck disorders have been limited till the recent times.

The recent advancements in robotics technology have allowed more complex surgical procedures to be performed using minimally invasive approaches. These new advanced and exciting technology have proven to be safe, and enable better treatment outcomes as compared to the conventional procedures. This methods also enables rapid recovery, while being cost effective when compared to conventional surgical approaches.

The new robotic-assisted equipment is the approach to many serious skull base surgeries that enhances patient comfort because they’re less painful, with minimum blood loss and faster recovery. Robotic surgeries are continuing to overcome limitations, with better results and reduced recurrence rates.

Expertise in Robotics at BSR Hospital :

Dr. Kalyan Chakravarthy, Otolaryngologist, (ENT) specialist at BSR ENT hospital,Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and his team are trained to do robotic surgeries and excels in robot assisted skull base surgeries. BSR hospital is equipped with the latest robotics to enable advanced and minimally invasive procedures in complicated skull base surgeries.

ADVANTAGES OF ROBOTIC-ASSISTED SURGERIES:

• Improves functional outcome and shorter recovery/healing times.
• Reduces the need for chemo-radiation therapy
• Reduces the post-operative pain.
• Lessens complications, blood loss is minimal and hospital stay is shortened.
• The trans-oral robotic procedure facilitates surgeons to work from within a patient’s mouth, with no external incisions in the neck and jaw, leaving no permanent scarring or difficulty in eating, speaking and swallowing.
• Enhanced Visualization: The 3D visualization option enhances the depth of the field and increases the clarity of the tissue planes during dissection. This helps during the head and neck surgery and paediatric surgeries.
• The hardware and software filters used in the technique helps in avoiding surgeon’s tremors.
• The robotic-assisted system offers surgeons with better-quality vision and easier access to difficult-to-reach areas of the throat.

THE ROBOTIC SYSTEM:

The robotic cart contains multiple manipulation arms that are operated remotely from a console. The robot is a comprehensive master-slave arrangement with a video-assisted visualization and computerized, enhancing the procedure. The system is composed of three components:

• The surgical cart: It is equipped with four arms, one with camera and three arms with EndoWrist instruments.
• The vision cart: This is equipped with two light sources, an insufflator and hardware. This helps in generating 3D images.
• The surgeon’s console: this is a master unit that displays 3D images. Also, it acts as the interface for the surgeon in controlling the instrument.

Da Vinci Surgical System and the New Flex Robotic System, are the two types of robotic systems widely used.

BSR hospital is reputed for four decades for their senior team of experienced doctors, and for their advanced technology, such as robotics in treating specific complicated conditions such as cancers and non-cancerous tumours of the head and neck. Consult

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