S.C. operating rooms seeing upgrades to robot-aided surgery
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A robot upgrade is transforming cancer surgery in South Carolina.
The Da Vinci SP made its way to the operating room for doctors at Trident Medical Center. The robot that uses a single port, or one “arm,” to help target tumors in the mouth, throat and nasal area that are typically found with head and neck cancers.
The newest technology is an upgrade from the Da Vinci 5 that uses four arms.
Head and neck surgical oncologist Dr. Josh Hornig with the Head and Neck Specialist Charleston says traditional robots, such as the four-armed robot, were meant for abdominal or chest surgeries.
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Hornig says operating behind the tongue is similar to working around the corner of a door. The tight space in the mouth proves to be tricky during surgery when using a machine with many arms.
“With a single port, what it allows us to do is to get into tighter spaces and to see the tumors more naturally,” Hornig says. “And if you can see things better, it’s obviously easier to remove them, to remove cancers in that area without removing as much normal tissue.”
Hornig says cases of this cancer type are on the rise. The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health reports some cases stem from alcohol and tobacco use.
Hornig says another cause is the Human Papillomavirus or HPV.
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The surgical oncologist says the virus tends to invade the throat region near the tonsil region. Hornig says cure rates for cancer caused by HPV are higher when caught early and operated on with robotic surgery.
The goal for upgrading the new technology is to see fewer surgical impacts on patients while finding better ways to cure the cancer. Patients outcomes are improving as the new addition also has potential to treat more patients in a quicker time frame than before.
The robot helps doctors remove less tissue, especially around the tongue, which lowers recovery time for patients.
“If we operate on you and cure the cancer, but now you have so little tongue, you can’t swallow properly or you can’t talk and [have] people… understand what you’re saying… that would be high morbidity surgery so we’re trying to make things less morbid, less impactful for the patients.”
Experts say patients are already seeing positive results when it comes to curing the cancers.
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