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The Flex robotic system compared to transoral laser microsurgery for the resection of supraglottic carcinomas: first results and preliminary oncologic outcomes

  • Head and Neck
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Abstract

Purpose

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has the potential to improve some inherent disadvantages of transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). Here, we retrospectively assessed the application of the Medrobotics Flex system for the resection of supraglottic carcinomas compared to TLM.

Methods

84 patients underwent surgery for supraglottic carcinomas with the Flex robotic system (n = 19, T-stage distribution in %: T1 42, T2 47, T3 11, T4 0) or TLM (n = 65, T-stage distribution in %: T1 40, T2 44, T3 14, T4 2). Clinical and oncologic parameters were compared.

Results

All surgeries were successfully completed with the Flex system and tracheostomy rate was 13%. For patients with adequate follow-up, 24-month disease-free survival was 71.4% (n = 5/7) after TORS compared to 64.9% (n = 24/37) after TLM. Local recurrence rates were 0% for TORS and 11% for TLM.

Conclusions

Initial results for supraglottic carcinoma resection using the Medrobotics Flex system are encouraging with excellent local tumor control.

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Funding

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Author notes

  1. Timon Hussain and Stephan Lang equally contributed to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany

    Timon Hussain, Stephan Lang, Pia Haßkamp, Laura Holtmann, Benedikt Höing & Stefan Mattheis

Authors
  1. Timon Hussain
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  2. Stephan Lang
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  3. Pia Haßkamp
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  4. Laura Holtmann
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  5. Benedikt Höing
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  6. Stefan Mattheis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephan Lang.

Ethics declarations

The retrospective study was approved by the ethical committee of the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Conflict of interest

SL and SM received speaker fees and travel reimbursement from Medrobotics Corporation.

Ethical approval

The retrospective study was approved by the ethical committee of the University of Duisburg-Essen.

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Details of disease recurrence for patients from both groups (DOCX 14 kb)

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Hussain, T., Lang, S., Haßkamp, P. et al. The Flex robotic system compared to transoral laser microsurgery for the resection of supraglottic carcinomas: first results and preliminary oncologic outcomes. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 277, 917–924 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-019-05767-0

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