Innovation, cost, and evidence: a critical appraisal of robotic surgery in head and neck and endocrine surgery : A structured critical review of the evidence, with attention to lower-resource settings

Robotic platforms have expanded rapidly across head and neck and endocrine surgery - from transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal cancer to remote-access thyroid and parathyroid approaches - often driven by patient demand, hospital branding, and industry marketing rather than by evidence, with particular equity implications in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs)....

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No actionable change for audiologists — this review addresses surgical oncology and endocrine surgery with minimal direct audiology practice implications.

As robotic surgery expands in head and neck oncology, understanding its evidence base and cost profile matters for multidisciplinary teams managing oropharyngeal cancer patients who may also present with hearing or vestibular concerns.

1. 01Structured critical review appraising robotic surgery evidence in head, neck, and endocrine surgery.
2. 02Covers transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal cancer and remote-access thyroid/parathyroid approaches.
3. 03Highlights the gap between innovation enthusiasm and rigorous evidence, particularly in lower-resource settings.
4. 04Cost is identified as a significant barrier to widespread adoption.
5. 05Published in Journal of Robotic Surgery.

PMID

42640389

DOI

10.1007/s11701-026-03802-x.

Journal

Journal of Robotic Surgery

Publication type

review

Evidence level

2a

Population

Patients undergoing robotic head and neck or endocrine surgery, including in lower-resource settings

Intervention

Robotic surgery (TORS, remote-access thyroid/parathyroid approaches)

Comparator

Conventional surgical approaches