title: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS): a new tool for high risk tracheostomy decannulation.
abstract: Tracheostomy decannulation has always been considered a procedure with an attendant risk, especially in patients with a reduced upper airway diameter as is commonly observed in the obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) population. We report on 4 cases where transoral robotic surgery (TORS) helped in the management of long-term cannulated patients. The aims of our paper are: 1. To demonstrate how the otolaryngology team can help identify patients at high risk for decannulation failure; and 2. To demonstrate how TORS may aid in the decannulation process of patients at high risk for failure due to severe tongue base hypertrophy. From our experience, TORS appears to offer an effective option to aid in the decannulation of patients with a severe hypertrophy of the base of tongue and floppy epiglottis.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Department, ENT & Oral Surgery Unit, G.B. Morgagni, L. Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Infermi Hospital, Faenza, ASL of Romagna, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montevecchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cammaroto
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Department, ENT & Oral Surgery Unit, G.B. Morgagni, L. Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Infermi Hospital, Faenza, ASL of Romagna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meccariello
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Section, "GB Morgagni-L. Pierantoni" Hospital, Forlì, Italy.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Corso
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galletti
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Department, ENT & Oral Surgery Unit, G.B. Morgagni, L. Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Infermi Hospital, Faenza, ASL of Romagna, Italy.
authors.forename: M F H
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Al-Rawashdeh
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Department, ENT & Oral Surgery Unit, G.B. Morgagni, L. Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Infermi Hospital, Faenza, ASL of Romagna, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation; D020878:Device Removal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth; D018570:Risk Assessment; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D014139:Tracheostomy
keywords: Tongue base; Tracheostomy; Transoral Robotic Surgery