Objectives To describe the potential uses of computed tomography image guidance in concert with the surgical robot for skull base surgery. Design An anatomical study was conducted. Setting Tertiary academic center. Participants Cadaveric skull. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was to measure the accuracy of robotic arm positioning to anatomical landmarks on a skull using image guidance and the surgical robot synchronously. Instruments with different angles of rotations were used. Estimated systematic error was calculated and compared with achieved errors. Clinical applications of metachronous image guidance and robotic system were discussed. Results The skull model approximated < 1 mm accuracy using standard image guidance instruments and the 0-degree robotic arm positioning. Increased angles of instruments from 20 to 60 degrees on the robotic system revealed more significant increases in error than estimated. Conclusions Image guidance may be useful for transoral robotic approaches. Precise movements are improved by limiting the angle of deviation. Future studies will help optimize the combined technologies before validating the study in clinical settings.
Keywords: image guidance; robotic surgery; skull base; transoral robotic surgery.