Robotics in Pediatric Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Advanced Surgical Planning

Abstract

Robotic surgery has been shown to be feasible and successful in several areas of pediatric head and neck surgery. However, adoption has been limited. Robotic surgery may be better integrated into practice with advanced preoperative surgical planning and the design of new robotic platforms with instrumentation specific for the application. With continued investigations, computer-aided surgical planning techniques including three-dimensional printing, virtual reality, multiobjective cost function for optimization of approach, mirror image overlay, and flexible robotic instruments may demonstrate value and utility over current practice.

Keywords: Pediatric otolaryngology; Robotics; Surgical planning.