Abstract
Surgical management of the nasopharynx is complex. Both traditional and endoscopic transnasal techniques are demanding. Purely transoral robotic nasopharyngectomy has been described but it needs a palatal splitting and is performed with an inferior to superior perspective with a difficult vision of the upper regions. The aim of this study is to investigate a new robotic surgical setting, which is able to overcome the actual limits. The DaVinci Surgical System was used in two cadavers. Dissection was carried out through a combined transnasal–transoral approach and a purely transoral procedure. A complete nasopharyngectomy was performed with both settings. Working and setting times are comparable. The combined approach avoids palatal spitting and permits a more panoramic view of the surgical field with an easier dissection of the upper areas. A robotic palatal sparing nasopharyngectomy is feasible. The combined transnasal–transoral setting seems to offer significant advantages with respect to traditionally purely transoral procedures.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Katie Anderson for her invaluable support and expertise during dissection time and Mrs. Diana Elizabeth Hearn for her help in translation and revising the manuscript.
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We state that all Authors have seen and approved the manuscript “Combined Transoral Transnasal Robotic-assisted Nasopharyngectomy: a cadaveric feasibility study”, that there is not conflict of interest, that neither the submitted paper nor any similar paper, in whole or in part, other than an abstract or preliminary communication, has been or will be submitted to or published in any other printed or digital publication. We declare that all Authors had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
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Dallan, I., Castelnuovo, P., Montevecchi, F. et al. Combined transoral transnasal robotic-assisted nasopharyngectomy: a cadaveric feasibility study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 269, 235–239 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-011-1550-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-011-1550-x