Plastic surgeons at Allegheny General Hospital said they are the first in the region to perform a tongue reconstruction procedure utilizing the da Vinci SP surgical system.

The minimally invasive, robot-assisted technology is the latest advancement in the field of reconstructive surgery aimed at rebuilding hard-to-reach areas of the body often affected by aggressive cancer therapies.

After a stage three cancer diagnosis in the mouth and neck, a 50-year-old woman from North Huntington underwent the new robotic reconstructive surgical procedure Aug. 18 after a tumor was removed from the base of her tongue.

The da Vinci SP surgical system's three fully articulating instruments and camera allows surgeons to perform complex cancer surgeries and reconstructions transorally. This approach eliminates the need to make large incisions to the lips, neck or split the jaw for surgical access — resulting in decreased scarring, shorter recovery times and hospital stays, reduced pain and less narcotic use. Compared to traditional methods, the technique also increases patient safety by reducing potential complications.

The procedure is performed by a team of surgeons beginning with the resection of cancerous tissue and tumors by AHN otolaryngologists Warren Swegal, Elias Hilal and Erik Interval. Once the tumor is removed, Daniel Murariu, director of microsurgery and lymphatic surgery at AHN, uses the robotic system to perform the tongue reconstruction using tissue from the patient's thigh.