TORS larynx surgery

Gramofthefab5

I am a 74 yera old female. I was originally diagnosed in September 2023 with squamous cell carcinoma HPV positive +16 and had 6 cisplatin chemo treatments and 35 radiation treatments that ended on November 22, 2023. My CT scan in February, 2024 was good as was my pet scan in May, 2024. In August, 2024 my pet scan showed abnormal findings and my ENT doctor did a surgical laryngoscopy and biopsy on Sept. 20th. The biopsy shows positive for p16 positive squamous cell carcinoma. He is planning on doing a transoral robotic assisted supraglottectomy with laryngoplasty to reconstruct the larynx. He says I'll be in the hospital for 10 days and will do a left modified radical neck dissection a week after the 1st. surgery. Can you tell me what to expect for recovery. I have tried to look it up to see if I will be able to eat without a feeding tube and if I'll be able to talk soon after also, but I can't find that info I did not have a feeding tube during radiation and have gained back the weight I had lost. I have no actual pain. I do feel like something is tuck in my throat but it is not affecting my taste or ability to eat. My voice has been raspy since the radiation and that continues. Any advice will be greatly appreciated

wbcgaruss

Hello, Gramofthefab5 , and welcome to the CSN H&N discussion forum.

I am sorry you have to be here but like the rest of us here you are in a club no one wants to join.

The procedures you are having do not necessarily come up in a search and I have not had any of them nor do I know anyone who has had them but I broke it down a bit and I think I can help a little. So here goes I will take my best guess at it.

The big thing is you are having robotic-assisted surgery. This surgery enables them to do surgery through the mouth that in years past they would have had to cut you open from the outside involving large incisions, possibly causing scarring and disfigurement for some operations. They also in many cases would have had to take more out giving the patient more problems. Check out this video of a fellow who had the robot surgery and listen to the docs comments.

TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS) at Stanford: John Ayers' story

Stanford laryngeal surgeon, Edward Damrose, MD, found a way to use transoral robotic surgery to rid John Ayers' throat of enough scar tissue to allow surgery to protect his life from the thyroid cancer and, beyond that, to restore the reliability of his ability to breathe and eat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hku6FdQ3NTo

Also here is a video of an explanation of robotic surgery which tells a bit about it and why it is effective by a surgeon…not head and neck, just a demonstration of robot-assisted effectiveness…

How robot assisted surgery works (as explained by a surgeon)

What exactly is robot-assisted surgery, and what does the (human) surgeon actually do? In this video, I take you inside the operating room with Dr. Sanghyun Kim, one of the chiefs of colorectal surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital. He explains how he operates using a robot and also shares insights into his background and life as a surgeon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxoRSEIqs2I

The first procedure you mention is "transoral robotic-assisted supraglottectomy".

I think you may have typed in a "t" instead of an "s" in the word supraglottectomy so instead it would read supraglossectomy. Because I can't find anything with 2 t's in it and I am very familiar with the head and neck-related term glossectomy which has to do with the tongue. But please correct me if I am wrong.

So I think that is part of your operation, something to do with your tongue, possibly the base of the tongue since they are doing robotic surgery.

The other procedure you mentioned was laryngoplasty. I have found some information on that and it has to do with the vocal cords…

What are the different types of vocal cord surgery?

Different types of vocal cord surgery include microlaryngoscopy, medialization laryngoplasty, and reduction laryngoplasty. The type of surgery a person has may depend on the reason for the procedure.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-vocal-cord-surgery

So I think you are getting a robotic operation on possibly the tongue or base of the tongue and something to do with your vocal cords, which is very effective in many situations like these because they can access better what they need to and the patient has less recovery time because of accessing the area inside with a robot compared to outside where large incisions would be involved.

I think you are getting the best possible options for your situation.

You don't mention where this is to be done but I would imagine a pretty advanced hospital.

As long as you are confident in your care team I would say everything should work out as per the best possible outcome.

Our motto here is NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)

Wishing You The Best

Take Care, God Bless

Russ

I would also recommend you check out the Superthread at the top of the page there is loads of information in there with links and you will find it helpful.

Gramofthefab5

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1718309#Comment_1718309

I am having my surgery done at Mercy Health in Lima, Ohio and it is associated with Ohio State University and James Cancer Centr in Columbus, Ohio. I am very confident in my ENT surgeon and the cancer team we have here. On the papers my ENT Dr. Castellanos gave me it says " I'm a candidate for transoral robotic assisted supraglottectomy with laryngoplasty to reconstruct the larynx". It does have 2 double t's. I have no problems with my tongue. The surgery is scheduled for October 14th and will be followed by a left modified radical neck dissection on October 21st. When I was first diagnose last fall I had a tumor above my voice box and the radiation did remove the tumor and everything looked good until the scan in August. I will continue to do research and look for other articles to see if I can learn mor about what to expect after the surgeries. I am going to contact my Doctor's office and see if I can get any other information.

Thank You very much for your reply and

God Bless you

wbcgaruss

Very well, Gramofthefab5, glad to hear back from you.

Apparently, I was wrong on some of the things I put down for you but I gave it a shot and even though I was wrong it helps me learn when I hear the right answer.

I must say "Mercy Health in Lima, Ohio and it is associated with Ohio State University and James Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio" sounds like a solid place to be treated, a Health Center, a University, and a cancer center combined.

You are certainly having a time of it and now these surgeries are coming up.

I pray that everything goes super well for you in the surgeries and a very good cancer-free recovery.

May God's hand of Blessings and healing be upon you.

Hopefully, this is the last of this evil cancer you will have to deal with.

Wishing You The Very Best

Take Care, God Bless

Russ