Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) for Bilateral Eagle Syndrome

Abstract

Eagle syndrome is a rare and poorly understood clinical condition caused by an elongated or disfigured styloid process. The possible managements of Eagle syndrome include conservative medical treatment or surgical intervention. The surgical removal of the elongated styloid process may be efficiently achieved either by an intraoral or a transcervical approach. An effective styloidectomy may be either total or partial, provided the bony residue’s length is within the range of normality. Here, we report our experience with a bilateral robotic-assisted styloidectomy in a young female patient. Our experience showed that this procedure is a safe alternative to traditional surgical approaches, granting an excellent view and a safe manipulation by robotic arms, and, thereby, avoiding iatrogenic damage to neurovascular structures. Moreover, transoral robotic surgery could represent the gold standard for the treatment of bilateral Eagle syndrome cases allowing a quick and safe single-time surgery.

Transoral robotic submandibular sialadenectomy: how and when

“…The application of robotic technology in the head and neck field (26,27,29,30) has favored the spread of this procedure not only for oropharyngeal (29,30) and, more recently, laryngeal (31) and neck disorders (32), but also for anterior oral floor diseases (28,33). A transoral robotassisted management of large submandibular gland stones was recently described in a small and heterogeneous series of patients (21,28,34,35), while only two case reports on TORSS have been published for different salivary disorders (20,22).…”

“…Residual indications for the removal of the submandibular gland are pure intraparenchymal stones, multiple parenchymal stones with a history of recurrent gland infections, iatrogenic proximal duct stenosis, and neoplasms (25). By matching our long-term experience with transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal and salivary gland disorders (26)(27)(28), we present the TORSS by describing the robot docking, the surgical technique, the post-operative results, and indications for this new option.…”

A Rare Case of Late Diagnosis Of Elongated Styloid Process Syndrome

“…In the literature, transoral robotic styloidectomy has also been described as an alternative to traditional surgery [18].…”

Alternative Applications of Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS): A Systematic Review

“…Other parapharyngeal masses have been reported as being treated by TORS, for example, lipomatous tumours, second branchial cysts, lymphangiomas, haemangiomas and schwannomas [15]. With regard to robotic surgery of the structural affection of this anatomical region, Eagle syndrome has been mentioned as being treated by TORS through an incision on the anterior tonsillar pillar, thereby sparing the tonsil [16]. Retropharyngeal space pathologies, such as lipomas and ectopic parathyroid glands, can be approached directly by the posterior pharyngeal wall [17].…”