In oral cancer, robot-assisted and virtual surgery enable same-day implant placement

With the introduction of robotic surgery and virtual surgery techniques in oral cancer surgery, the scars resulting from the removal of oral cancer have been significantly reduced, and subsequent treatments requiring reconstruction after the removal of oral cancer can now be performed more quickly.

Oral cancer refers to all cancers that develop inside the mouth and around it, including the tongue, gums, cheeks, underside of the tongue, palate, and lips.

“Surgery plays a crucial role in the treatment of oral cancer. Surgery is the most important treatment method for oral cancer, and oral cancer surgery involves the removal of cancerous tissue and cervical lymph nodes, followed by reconstructive surgery,” said Professor Yang Hyun-woo of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Yongin Severance Hospital on the YouTube channel with the same name as the hospital. “Except in very special cases or when the cancer is too advanced, surgical treatment is performed before chemotherapy or radiation therapy.”

When performing oral cancer surgery, if the tumor is small, it is removed along with surrounding tissues, and the resulting defect is reconstructed. However, in cases where a large tumor must be removed, resulting in extensive defects, surgery is performed to reconstruct the defect using appropriate tissues from the patient's body.

“When soft tissue is resected along with the cancer, soft tissue from the forearm or thigh is used for reconstruction. If the cancer has grown and invaded the jawbone, the tibia from the lower leg is used to reconstruct the jawbone,” Professor Yang said.

Recent changes are being made in oral cancer surgery. “We are making great efforts to improve the quality of life after cancer surgery by introducing the latest techniques, not only for cancer treatment,” Yang said. He cited robotic surgery and virtual surgery techniques as representative examples of such techniques.

"A ‘robot’ that can pass through narrow spaces through a small incision performs surgery using multiple long robotic arms under an enlarged view. Compared to traditional surgery involving large incisions, robotic surgery allows for reduced or hidden scars, significantly improving aesthetic outcomes,” he explained.

He continued, “Recently, computer-assisted virtual surgery techniques have been developed, enabling simulated surgeries to be replicated in real surgeries with precision within 0.5mm, achieving precise resection and reconstruction."

By reconstructing the facial features and jawbone structure to match the computer-designed tibia as closely as possible, and by implanting the pre-planned implants on the day of surgery through virtual surgery, patients can return to their previous lives much faster than in the past, Yang added.