• Providers and Locations
• Audiology
• Balance Center
• Cranial Base Surgery
• Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• General Otolaryngology
• Head and Neck Cancer Surgery
• Rhinology (Sino-Nasal Conditions and Surgery)
• Otology/Neurotology
• Smell and Taste Disorders
• Speech-Language Pathology
• TransOral Robotic Surgery
  • Benefits
  • What to Expect
  • Before TORS
  • Staging Endoscopy for Appropriate Patient Selection
  • After TORS
  • Staged Neck Dissection after TORS
  • Postoperative Radiation after TORS
  • TORS for Sleep Apnea
  • News
  • Patient Testimonials
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Team
  • Locations
  • Travel Information
  • History of TORS
• Voice, Speech and Swallowing Disorders

--> For Patients Make an Appointment Encyclopedia Articles about Ear, Nose and Throat

Robotic Resection of Throat Cancers and Benign Lesions – Knowing What to Expect Provides Peace of Mind

Knowing what to expect before and after robotic resection helps patients best prepare for this procedure. The first thing patients should expect is a good outcome. Penn surgeons have demonstrated superior results for cancer control and swallowing function after treatment of tonsil cancer.

Visit both the before TORS and after TORS pages for specific advice on pre- and post-operative care.

TransOral Robotic Surgery for Benign and Malignant Lesions – General Guidelines

These guidelines were created by Drs. Weinstein and O’Malley, the inventors and developers of the techniques of TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS) at Penn.

Naturally, recovery and recuperation after robotic resection is different for every patient. Nonetheless, there are guidelines that are useful for all patients.

• Many patients need a staging endoscopy to assess the extent of the cancer.
• The hospital stay following TransOral robotic surgery (TORS) for tonsil cancer is three to five days.
• Many patients go home swallowing all nutrition by mouth.
• Some patients go home with a tube from their nose to their stomach (nasogastric tube) that allows supplemental nutrition during the healing phase. The need for this is determined by Penn's Speech-Language Pathology professionals who see the patients in the hospital following surgery.
• Almost all patients are eating by mouth without any need for a feeding tube by about 10 days after surgery.
• 98% of patients eat full diets by mouth in the long term.
• Patients undergo a separate neck dissection one to three weeks after TransOral robotic surgery (TORS) for tonsil cancer with a one- to two-day hospital stay.
• Many patients do need postoperative radiation therapy after TORS. If patients have high-risk features they may need chemoradiation, but the intensity is less than would have been needed if the patient did not undergo TORS, which likely accounts for the far superior swallowing function of the TORS approach.

 

 

	Need an appointment? Request one online 24 hours/day, 7 days/week or call 800-789-PENN (7366) to speak to a referral counselor.