Predictors for Success and Failure in Transoral Robotic Surgery—A Retrospective Study in the North of the Netherlands.

Simple Summary: Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) is increasingly used for various conditions, yet its success and failure remain underexplored. In this multicenter study, we assessed 220 TORS interventions across 211 patients. Success criteria differed by condition, including tumor identification for CUP, resection margins for malignancies, and symptom improvement for benign cases like OSA and chronic lingual tonsillitis. Predictors of success varied, with factors such as patient comorbidity, tumor characteristics, and demographics playing roles. Conversely, failure predictors encompassed postoperative complications and pain, linked to patient health and demographics. These insights into TORS outcomes may aid in patient selection and counseling across different conditions, informing clinical practice and enhancing patient care. Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) is utilized for treating various malignancies, such as early-stage oropharyngeal cancer and lymph node metastasis of an unknown primary tumor (CUP), and also benign conditions, like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic lingual tonsillitis. However, the success and failure of TORS have not been analyzed to date. In this retrospective observational multicenter cohort study, we evaluated patients treated with TORS using the da Vinci surgical system. Success criteria were defined as identification of the primary tumor for CUP, >2 mm resection margin for malignant conditions, and improvement on respiratory polygraphy and tonsillitis complaints for benign conditions. A total of 220 interventions in 211 patients were included. We identified predictors of success, such as low comorbidity status ACE-27, positive P16 status, and lower age for CUP, and female gender and OSA severity for benign conditions. For other malignancies, no predictors for success were found. Predictors of failure based on postoperative complications included high comorbidity scores (ASA) and anticoagulant use, and for postoperative pain, younger age and female gender were identified. This study provides valuable insights into the outcomes and predictors of success and failure in TORS procedures across various conditions and may also help in patient selection and counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]