Adjusting to life after a diagnosis of head or neck cancer can be difficult. It can be a long road to recovery after invasive surgery to remove the tumor, which is only made worse by extensive radiation treatment and all the side effects that come with it.
Simply enjoying a meal again after surgery can become near impossible. However with TORS – transoral robotic surgery – your battle with cancer can become far more comfortable.
That’s certainly what our TORS patients have told us here at Scottsdale Ear Nose & Throat. When it comes to their quality of life, there are two major improvements that we see time and time again.
Swallowing without soreness sooner.
Clear speech regained faster.
These two essential functions make the world of difference. They have enabled our patients to get back to enjoying mealtimes and expressing themselves as soon as possible. This has a huge impact on their social interactions and their state of mind.
Traditional surgery for head and neck cancer involves splitting open the jaw or throat to gain access to the tumor. Cutting through so many muscles, nerves and tendons is what results in longer recovery times and difficulties with speech and eating in the long-term.
TORS cuts down recovery times.
With TORS there are no external cuts as the tumor is accessed via the mouth. And with robotic arms making precise cuts, as instructed by your surgeon, damage to other surrounding tissues is kept to an absolute minimum. What does this ultimately mean?
Our patients can leave the hospital just 1 or 2 days after TORS.
Getting back to their lives sooner and with a shorter road to recovery ultimately has a positive effect on the emotional and mental wellbeing of our patients. There is also the cosmetic side of things to consider.
TORS does not leave patients with any external scars.
When the time comes to plan the next stage of treatment, usually radiation or chemotherapy, some TORS patients find they do not require as much.
With improved speech, swallowing and eating and less soreness and tissue damage, TORS really does have the power to improve your quality of life.
To find out more about TORS and whether it could work for you, book a consultation with one of our highly skilled head and neck surgeons at Scottsdale Ear Nose & Throat today.
