Selective embolization of lingual artery in transoral robotic surgery for the management of recurrent base of tongue carcinomas

Published Date : 24th Dec 2020
Authors : Vishal U. S. Rao FRCS, Anand Subash FHNO, Vidya R. Bhargavi MD, Piyush Sinha MDS, Ritvi K. Bagadia MDS, Akshay Kudpaje MCh, Gururaj Arakeri PhD, Indusekhara Subbanna MD
Dr. Anand Subash, HCG Bangalore, has had this article presented in the Head and Neck Journal ( 24 December 2020)
Procedure Followed : TORS< oropharyngeal carcinoma
Institutions : HealthCare Global (HCG) Cancer Center, Bangalore, India

Abstract : The incidence of oropharyngeal carcinoma has been on the rise in recent decades. About 30% of patients who undergo definitive chemoradiation as the initial treatment present with residual/recurrent disease. In such a situation, surgical salvage either in the form of traditional open surgery or transoral robotic surgery (TORS) remains a viable treatment option. However, the extensive vascular supply of the posterior tongue and tonsillar bed increases the risk of perioperative bleeding, which is a key concern. The article describes the technique of selective preā€operative embolization to reduce the risk of perioperative bleeding and enumerate its advantages in providing a bloodless field during surgery.