UK surgeons have successfully tested a new robotic surgical system for treating conditions of the head and neck.
It marks a significant step forward in minimally invasive cancer care.
The team at King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust published their study in the European Archives of Otolaryngology, evaluating the Versius Surgical System, developed by UK-based CMR Surgical, for use in transoral robotic surgery (TORS).
TORS is a technique that removes tumours from the throat and mouth through the mouth, avoiding more invasive open surgeries.
Over eight months, surgeons performed 30 robotic procedures – 15 for benign conditions and 15 for cancers – using the Versius system.
All surgeries were completed successfully without major complications or the need to convert to traditional open surgery.
The study followed the IDEAL framework, a structured approach for evaluating surgical innovations.
It began with benign cases before progressing to cancer surgeries, allowing the team to refine techniques and adapt the system for the complex anatomy of the oropharynx.
One of the key features tested was four-arm robotic surgery, which utilises three instruments and a camera simultaneously.
This approach, not possible with most current multi-port systems, showed promise for improving surgical access and reducing the workload on bedside assistants.
However, it also presented challenges in tight spaces, like the tongue base.
Although the system performed well overall, the study highlighted areas for enhancement.
Surgeons noted that some instruments were too bulky or lacked precision and called for the development of TORS-specific tools – particularly a monopolar spatula, a standard instrument in other robotic systems.
The research team recommends further multi-centre studies to evaluate the system’s broader applicability and to refine its instrumentation.
If adopted widely, Versius could offer a more accessible and cost-effective alternative to existing robotic platforms, potentially transforming head and neck cancer surgery.
Dr Asit Arora, ENT thyroid head and neck consultant surgeon, robotic head and neck surgery lead, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation NHS Trust, said: ‘It has been an exciting journey and a privilege to work alongside Prof Seb Ourselin supervising this PhD. The project represents a unique clinical academic commercial collaboration between Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, King’s College London and CMR Surgical.’
Jack Faulkner, head and neck robotic research fellow at King’s College London, said: ‘This study marks the first time the Versius robotic system has been used in human patients for transoral surgery, and it represents a major step forward in expanding robotic options for head and neck cancer treatment. By introducing a new platform into this space, more patients may benefit from robotic surgery delivered in a way that’s safer, more efficient and potentially more widely available.’
