First FDA-Approved Robot-Assisted Microsurgery for Head and Neck Cancer Performed at Cedars-Sinai
The Procedure Was Completed by Cedars-Sinai Plastic Surgeon Victor Chien, MD
Cedars-Sinai has successfully performed the first robot-assisted microsurgical head and neck cancer reconstructive surgery in the United States after the robot device received Food and Drug Administration approval for the procedure, marking a significant milestone in surgical advancements.
Victor Chien, MD
This procedure underscores Cedars-Sinai's commitment to staying at the forefront of medical innovation and adopting leading-edge surgical techniques that positively enhance patient care and improve outcomes.
The surgery was performed by Victor Chien, MD, who utilized the Symani Surgical System. Chien said the robot enabled him and his team to perform a complex microsurgical procedure with a higher level of precision and control than conventional methods to operate on micro blood vessels thinner than a human hair.
“The surgery demonstrates the microsurgical platform’s remarkable ability in lending greater precision and care when handling tissue in small and diseased vessels,” said Chien, a plastic surgeon in the Jim and Eleanor Randall Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai. “By removing the limitations that come with natural tremor in a human hand, the robot helped us execute this procedure in an efficient manner.”
