Shanghai hospital claims success in robot-assisted tonsillar cancer surgery
Robot-assisted surgery is now being successfully used on tonsillar cancer for reducing trauma and doing more precise operation, Shanghai Renji Hospital announced on Wednesday.
The hospital introduced the robot-assisted surgery on a 58-year-old patient with tonsillar cancer. It was the first time that doctors from the ear, nose and throat department worked with the robotic surgery system, whose arms are more precise and flexible than human and traditional surgery tools, especially as tonsillar cancer is located deep in the mouth.
The chief surgeon works on the desk to operate the robotic arms to perform surgery.
"The tumor was also located close to the carotid artery and there was rich blood supply in the region," said Dr Li Jiping, director of Renji Hospital's ENT department. "Robotic arms can carry out more delicate operation in such a limited space."
To ensure surgery effects, experts from multiple departments held discussions and decided on the best treatment plan, which called for chemotherapy at first and then for doctors to carry out robot-assisted surgery.
The surgery ran very smoothly and the entire cancer was removed. Li said that the use of the robotic surgery system can help carry out more complicated and high-end surgery and benefit patients.
Tonsillar cancer is a cancer with relatively low incidence, but it is a well disguised tumor, because it is likely to be confused with tonsillitis. Among all the oropharyngearl cancers, tonsillar cancer is the most prevalent, doctors said.
Tonsillitis can cause swelling on both sides along with other symptoms like throat pain and fever and the symptoms can be relieved with antibiotics, while tonsillar cancer usually causes one side of the tonsil to become big and hard and symptoms don't improve after taking medications.
