Wellstar is at the forefront of providing comprehensive head and neck cancer care, offering advanced treatments like transoral robotic surgery (TORS). Head and neck cancer specialist Dr. Kia Jones said the minimally invasive surgical approach is primarily used for tumors in the oropharynx—the area of the throat which includes the tonsil and the root of the tongue, also known as the tongue base.
“In this procedure, the surgeon accesses the cancer by passing tools through the mouth to the area of concern without external incisions,” said Dr. Jones, an expert in head and neck cancer surgery and microvascular reconstructive surgery.
She explained TORS is performed with the aid of the da Vinci robotic surgical system.
“The surgeon sits at a console, controlling the robot and instruments under high-definition camera visualization to remove tumors completely in areas that are inaccessible to the surgeon's hands,” she said.
The benefits of TORS
People who undergo TORS often experience shorter hospital stays, less postoperative pain and quicker return to normal activities compared to traditional surgical methods. After surgery, these patients can generally eat within a day and are discharged within one to three days, with no need for neck breathing or stomach feeding tubes.
Who may consider TORS
TORS is particularly beneficial for patients with early-stage oropharyngeal tumors, especially HPV-driven squamous cell cancers, which tend to occur in younger individuals. TORS offers an additional treatment option that may be a better fit for some patients than primary radiation, which has been the standard of care standard of care for oropharyngeal cancers as traditional surgical approaches with large open incisions fell out of favor.
