# Comparison of Transoral Robotic Surgery and Endoscopic Laryngopharyngeal Surgery for Hypopharyngeal and Supraglottic Laryngeal Cancers

## TL;DR

This study compares robotic and endoscopic surgeries for throat cancers, finding similar safety but faster resection times with endoscopic methods.

## Contribution

The study provides a direct comparison of TORS and ELPS for hypopharyngeal and supraglottic laryngeal cancers in terms of time and outcomes.

## Key findings

- ELPS had significantly shorter median resection time compared to TORS.
- No significant difference in postoperative complication rates between the two approaches.
- Subepithelial invasion was an independent predictor of postoperative complications.

## Abstract

We aimed to compare intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, technical advantages, and limitations of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) using the Da Vinci Xi robotic system and endoscopic laryngopharyngeal surgery (ELPS) for hypopharyngeal and supraglottic laryngeal cancers.

This single‐center retrospective cohort study analyzed preoperative variables, intraoperative data, postoperative complications, and functional outcomes in patients with hypopharyngeal and supraglottic laryngeal cancers who underwent TORS or ELPS.

Fifty patients were enrolled (21: TORS; 29: ELPS). Median age at treatment was 73 years (range, 51–87 years). Median resection time was significantly shorter for ELPS (23 min, range 6–124) than for TORS (42 min, range 6–155; p < 0.001). No significant association was observed between surgical approach and postoperative complication incidence. Multivariate analysis identified the presence of subepithelial invasion (p = 0.0089) as an independent predictor of postoperative complications.

ELPS had a shorter resection time than TORS; however, both approaches showed no significant differences in safety and efficacy.