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Robot-based assistance in middle ear surgery and cochlear implantation: first clinical report

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Middle ear surgery may benefit from robot-based assistance to hold micro-instruments or an endoscope. However, the surgical gesture performed by one hand may perturb surgeons accustomed to two-handed surgery. A robot-based holder may combine the benefits from endoscopic exposure and a two-handed technique. Furthermore, tremor suppression and accurate tool control might help the surgeon during critical surgical steps. The goal of this work was to study the safety of an otological robot-based assistant under clinical conditions in a limited series of patients.

Methods

The RobOtol system has been used as an endoscope or a micro instrument holder for this series. Eleven cases were operated on with the robot as an endoscope holder for chronic otitis. Twenty-one cases were operated on with the robot as a micro-instrument holder for otosclerosis (9 cases), transtympanic tube placement (2 cases), or cochlear implantation (10 cases).

Results

No complications related to the robot manipulation occurred during surgery nor in postoperative. In the chronic otitis group, all perforations were sealed and 3-month postoperative pure-tone average air–bone gap (PTA ABG) was 15 ± 2.6 dB. In the otosclerosis group, 1-month post-op PTA ABG was 10 ± 1 dB. For cochlear implantation cases, a scala tympani insertion, a vestibular scala translocation occurred and a full scala vestibuli insertion was observed in 7, 2 and 1 case, respectively.

Conclusion

The RobOtol system has reached the clinical stage. It could be used safely and with accurate control as an endoscope holder or a micro instrument holder in 32 cases

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Acknowledgements

This work benefited from the technical support from Collin (Bagneux, France) and was supported by Pour l’Audition Foundation (Early Career Scientific Prize for YN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AP-HP, GHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, DMU ChIR, Service ORL, GRC Robotique et Innovation Chirurgicale, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

    Sykopetrites Vittoria, Ghizlene Lahlou, Hannah Daoudi, Isabelle Mosnier, Evelyne Ferrary, Yann Nguyen & Olivier Sterkers

  2. Inserm UMR 1120 “Innovative Technologies and Translational Therapeutics for Deafness”, Hearing Institute Paris, Paris, France

    Sykopetrites Vittoria, Ghizlene Lahlou, Hannah Daoudi, Isabelle Mosnier, Stéphane Mazalaigue, Evelyne Ferrary, Yann Nguyen & Olivier Sterkers

  3. Otorhinolaryngology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, ASST Santi Paolo E Carlo Hospital Università Degli Studi, Milan, Italy

    Sykopetrites Vittoria

  4. Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Av. Alcides Carrión 101, 04000, Arequipa, Peru

    Renato Torres

  5. Collin Orl, Bagneux, France

    Stéphane Mazalaigue

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  1. Sykopetrites Vittoria
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  2. Ghizlene Lahlou
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  4. Hannah Daoudi
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  8. Yann Nguyen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yann Nguyen.

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Conflict of interest

SM is an employee from Collin Orl Ltd. Other authors report no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All of the procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Vittoria, S., Lahlou, G., Torres, R. et al. Robot-based assistance in middle ear surgery and cochlear implantation: first clinical report. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 278, 77–85 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-06070-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-06070-z

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