Transoral Laser or Robotic Surgery Outcomes for Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: Secondary Analysis of the PATHOS Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) or transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) offer excellent oncological outcomes for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. TORS may offer greater margin clearance around tumors than TLM.

Objective: To determine whether the differing energy sources used and surgical technique of TORS or TLM is associated with postoperative early swallowing function, feeding tube use, and specific factors related to quality of life.