Transoral robotic retropharyngeal node dissection in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: Patterns of metastasis and functional outcomes

Assessment of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes is essential in the treatment for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Transoral robotic retropharyngeal lymph node dissection (RPLND) may provide valuable staging information and guide selection of adjuvant therapy in a transoral robotic surgery (TORS) treatment paradigm.Outcomes were compared between 30 patients with oropharyngeal SCC with tonsillar primaries undergoing RPLND and 37...