Oropharyngeal free flap reconstruction: Transoral robotic surgery versus open approach.

Objective: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has evolved since its 2009 US Food and Drug Administration approval for use in local stage T1-T2 oropharyngeal carcinoma. The ability to resect increasingly larger and more complex lesions has led to the need to introduce reconstructive techniques through this route, avoiding the classic transmandibular or pull-through approach. Few studies have compared the safety, efficacy, and advantages of TORS versus classic open approaches in oropharyngeal salvage surgery with reconstruction using microanastomosed flaps.