About this trial
The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to determine the pain intensity during rest and swallowing in patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery for tonsil lesions with and without buccal fat reconstruction. The main question it aims to answer is: does buccal fat after transoral robotic surgery reduce pain after surgery? Additional questions to be explored include if there is a difference in swallowing, complication rates, pain medication usage, and feeding tube usage. Participants will be asked to rate their pain and swallowing on a visual analogue scale after surgery. The group will be compared compared to a control group that undergoes transoral robotic surgery without buccal fat reconstruction.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Age > 18
Early - intermediate stage tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (T1-2N0-1 p16+/- SCC of the palatine tonsils)
Early -intermediate stage salivary gland tumors of the palatine tonsils
based on FNA, Core biopsy, Punch biopsy
Disqualifiers
History of prior head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, or prior head and neck radiotherapy
Presence of retropharyngeal lymphadenopathy
Presence of bilateral lymphadenopathy, or patients requiring bilateral neck dissections.
Patients with trismus at baseline
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Buccal fat reconstruction
- No buccal fat reconstruction