Transoral robotic reconstruction of a posterior palatal defect using an upper arm flap following polymorphous adenocarcinoma resection: a novel minimally invasive approach

Abstract

Surgical management of malignant tumors in the orofacial region frequently necessitates extensive resection, resulting in significant functional and aesthetic morbidity. In younger patients, these sequelae carry a substantial psychosocial burden, emphasizing the need for minimally invasive reconstructive strategies that preserve quality of life while maintaining oncological safety. A 36-year-old female patient presented with a small 1 × 1 cm swelling at the junction of the hard and soft palate on the left side. Incisional biopsy confirmed a malignant minor salivary gland tumor but did not permit definitive subtyping. The final diagnosis of a polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC), conventional subtype, was established only on the complete resection specimen. Following oncologically adequate resection, including partial hard palate and tuberosity removal, a 3 × 4 cm defect was reconstructed with a free upper arm flap. Supermicrovascular anastomoses to the superior labial and facial arteries (vessel diameter ~ 0.2 mm) were performed via a transoral approach using the Symani® robotic surgical system with 20× motion scaling. Venous anastomoses to the facial vein were completed end-to-end and end-to-side via the same intraoral access. Selective lymph node sampling of the four radiologically prominent ipsilateral level II lymph nodes through a minimal cervical incision showed no metastases, both on frozen section and on final histopathology (0/4). Final histopathology demonstrated a 15 mm low-grade PAC resected in sano, without lymphovascular invasion, without unequivocal perineural infiltration and without bone invasion, classified as pT1 pN0 (0/4) cM0, R0. Postoperative course was uneventful; functional rehabilitation including speech and swallowing therapy is ongoing. Robotic-assisted supermicrosurgery using the Symani® system enabled safe transoral free flap reconstruction of a posterior palatal defect with anastomoses at the sub 0.2 mm scale. This approach minimizes donor-site morbidity and demonstrates the feasibility of intraoral robotic supermicrosurgery as a novel reconstructive modality in head and neck oncology.