Less invasive robotic head/neck surgery

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say less-invasive robotic surgery for upper airway and digestive tract malignant tumors has been shown to be effective.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham say while it has been recognized robotic surgery made it easier for patients to regain the ability to swallow -- a common and serious side effect -- little had been known about the effect of the new surgery had on cure rates.

The study, published in the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery, suggests the new robotic surgery is very effective at getting rid of cancer as well.

"The overall two-year survival rate for these patients was 86.3 percent, which is comparable to the standard treatment," study leader Dr. J. Scott Magnuson says in a statement. "Of note, all of the patients in the study had regained full swallowing ability at the time of the last follow up visit and none remained feeding-tube dependent."

This was significant since some of the patients had been feeding tube-dependent prior to surgery.

Magnuson and colleagues followed 89 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas operated on using the da Vinci Robot up to 33 months following surgery.