Anatomy for Transoral Approaches in Oropharyngeal Surgery

Over the last decades, oropharyngeal cancer treatment has changed due to the introduction of new surgical techniques such as transoral approaches. These new techniques provide oncological results that are comparable to previous treatment but with shorter hospital stays and the preservation of functions. This surgery makes necessary to understand the anatomy of the upper aerodigestive pathway from the inside-out, as opposed to the inverse, which is the way head and neck surgeons have classically understood it. Although descriptions of the anatomy from medial to lateral have been published, a clear anatomic stratification of this area should help in the planning and execution of this surgery. This book is the basic guide for an anatomical course with the purpose to identify anatomic landmarks in the oropharynx and base of the tongue. This can help surgeons identify neurovascular elements of the surgical field during transoral robotic surgery quickly and accurately.