HPV-related head and neck cancer cases have been increasing over the past decade. With more research in HPV related cancers and with the advent of transoral robotic surgery, there has been a paradigm shift in treatment. Previously, surgeries in the mouth or throat were 8-12 hour long with large incisions involving the lip, tongue, jaw, and neck. Many patients were hospitalized for several weeks with significant side effects including poor wound healing, difficulty with swallowing and speech, and need for possibly a permanent tracheostomy or feeding tube. With robotic surgery, surgery duration is typically 2-3 hours with shorter hospital stays, no scars, and easier recovery. Also, with the use of TORS, there is ongoing evidence that it can decrease the potential need for additional therapy after surgery for early stage cancers, and may reduce long term side effects from additional therapy for advanced stage cancers.
Our head and neck surgeons at Otolaryngology Associates, P.C. are the only surgeons in Northern Virginia that use state-of-the-art robots to perform TORS. Surgeries are performed at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
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