Transoral laser microsurgery is another form of minimally invasive surgery used by several medical centers, including Washington University Siteman Cancer Center and Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...

 to remove small and medium tumor

Tumor

A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...

s through the mouth

Mouth

The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....

. It's occasionally used for larger tumors. Transoral laser microsurgery allows surgeons to remove tumors from the voice box

Voice box

Voice box could mean:* The larynx , colloquially known as the voice box, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protection of the trachea and sound production....

 with no external incisions. It also allows access to tumors that are not reachable with robotic surgery

Robotic surgery

Robotic surgery, computer-assisted surgery, and robotically-assisted surgery are terms for technological developments that use robotic systems to aid in surgical procedures....

.

A microscope

Microscope

A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...

 helps the surgeon clearly view the margins of the tumor, minimizing the amount of normal tissue removed or damaged during surgery. This technique helps give you as much speech

Speech

Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...

 and swallowing

Swallowing

Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the process in the human or animal body that makes something pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, and into the esophagus, while shutting the epiglottis. If this fails and the object goes through the trachea, then choking or pulmonary aspiration...

function as possible after surgery.

Publications

1. Karni R, Haughey B, Transoral Laser Microsurgery: A New Approach for Unknown Primaries of the Head and Neck, Laryngoscope,2011 Jun;121(6):1194-1201. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.21743/pdf

2. Rich J, Liu J, Haughey B, Swallowing Function after Transoral Laser Microsurgery (TLM) ± Adjuvant Therapy for Advanced Stage Oropharyngeal Cancer, Laryngoscope,2011 Nov;121(11):2381-90. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.21406/pdf

3. Haughey BH, Hinni ML, Salassa JR, Grant DG, Rich JT, Milov S, Lewis Jr JS, Krishan M, Transoral Laser Microsurgery as Primary Treatment of Advanced Stage Oropharynx Cancer: A United States Multicenter Study. Head and Neck. 2011 Dec;33(12):1683-94.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hed.21669/pdf

4. Rich JT, Milov S, Lewis Jr, JS, Thorstad WL, Adkins DR, Haughey BH, Transoral Laser Microsurgery (TLM) ± Adjuvant Therapy for Advanced Stage Oropharyngeal Cancer: Outcomes and Prognostic Factors, Laryngoscope, Volume 119, No. 9, pp 1709-1719, September 2009. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.20552/pdf

5. Hinni M, Salassa J, Grant D, Pearson B, Hayden R, Martin A, Christiansen H, Haughey B, Nussenbaum B, Steiner W, Transoral Laser Microsurgery for Advanced Laryngeal Cancer, Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Volume 133, No 12, pp 1198-1204, December 2007. http://archotol.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/133/12/1198