Flexible robotic surgery may be an option for some head and neck cancer patients. The technology, fitted with a flexible scope, is designed to allow surgeons to access hard-to-reach areas of the mouth and throat that aren’t typically or easily accessible with standard instruments. Benefits may include shorter hospital stays, reduced post-surgical pain and a faster return to normal activities.
Candidates for flexible robotic surgery may include patients with cancer in the tonsils, base of the tongue, hypopharynx (located in the throat next to and behind the larynx, or voice box) or supraglottis (upper part of the larynx).