Pediatric otolaryngologist Carolyn Jenks describes transoral robotic surgery (TORS), a minimally invasive surgical technique that uses a robotic system to help the surgeon operate through the mouth. TORS, which is offered at Johns Hopkins, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use with adults; its use for children is considered off-label. At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, TORS is most commonly used for a procedure called lingual tonsillectomy to treat sleep apnea in pediatric patients. It may also be used to help children who have cysts and masses in the throat — vallecular cysts, thyroglossal duct cysts, vascular malformations, and benign and malignant masses — or developmental abnormalities like laryngeal clefts. Dr. Jenks outlines the advantages of TORS compared with traditional surgery in the pediatric patient population and who is a candidate for it. #tors #johnshopkins #pediatricsurgery 0:04 What is transoral robotic surgery? 0:27 Is transoral robotic surgery safe for children? 0:53 What conditions found in infants and children can be treated using transoral robotic surgery? 1:54 What are the advantages of transoral robotic surgery over traditional surgery in children? 2:45 Who is a candidate for pediatric transoral robotic surgery? 3:13 What is recovery like for a child who has had transoral robotic surgery?