Transoral Robotic-Assisted Lingual Tonsillectomy in the Pediatric Population

Abstract

Technologic advances have allowed miniaturization of robotic instrumentation and have expanded the scope of surgical options for the pediatric airway. Robotic-assisted lingual tonsillectomy is well tolerated and can be performed in the pediatric population with excellent success. It should be considered a feasible option for implementation at an institution-based level.

Oropharyngeal Stenosis After Transoral Robotic Lingual Tonsillectomy

“…6,7 No major complications of robotic lingual tonsillectomy have been reported in the literature before, although it is a very novel procedure that is still in the learning stage. A comprehensive search in the literature made clear that these cases of OPS are the first report on a complication of transoral robotic-assisted surgery of the tongue base that can be called a major complication.…”

“…4,5 Transoral robotic-assisted lingual tonsillectomy seems to confirm good tolerability with efficient results in both adult and pediatric populations, and the complication rate is usually dependent on the specific procedure and not related to the use of the robotic techniques. 4,6,7 Long-term safety data for head and neck robotic surgery will continue to mature as use increases.…”

Transoral robotic-assisted laryngeal cleft repair in the pediatric patient

“…3 Since that time, advances in robotic technology have allowed miniaturization of the instrumentation, which has dramatically expanded the scope of surgical options. 4 We recently reported good functional outcomes with an acceptable complication profile with respect to performing robotic-assisted lingual tonsillectomy in the pediatric population 5 and have been performing robotic-assisted laryngeal cleft repair with similar preliminary results. Here, we present our experience with pediatric transoral robotic-assisted laryngeal cleft repair, with specific attention to describing the feasibility, operative and postoperative outcomes, and complication profile.…”

Lingual tonsillectomy with the PlasmaBlade

“…More recently, robot-assisted lingual tonsillectomy has been described. 17,18 However, cost and limited availability of miniaturized instrumentation currently make this impractical for pediatric lingual tonsillectomy at most institutions.…”