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The DaVinci Single Port System was used for the first time in Germany for oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg

Particularly precise and gentle: the Department of Oral, Maxillofacial, and Regional Plastic Surgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg used a special surgical robot for oral and maxillofacial surgery for the first time at the beginning of October 2025. The minimally invasive procedure allows, for example, the particularly tissue-sparing removal of malignant neoplasms or precancerous lesions in the base of the tongue, throat and soft palate - without external incisions. In January 2024, the DaVinci single-port system received approval in Germany for procedures in the mouth and throat (transoral robotic surgery, TORS). This makes Freiburg one of the first clinics in Germany to use this procedure following approval. Although surgical robots are already established in many areas of surgery, their use in oral and maxillofacial surgery is relatively new.

"With the use of surgical robots, we are taking a new step in our clinic. We are using state-of-the-art technology specifically for our patients and want to examine the potential that this procedure still offers in oral and maxillofacial surgery," says Prof. Dr. Dr. Rainer Schmelzeisen, Medical Director of the Department of Oral, Maxillofacial, and Regional Plastic Surgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. "This progress is emblematic of our aspiration to combine medical excellence with innovation."

New procedure with great potential

During the first procedure, physicians operated on the base of the tongue and the soft palate using the surgical robot via the oral cavity. This allowed pathological tissue changes to be removed without the need for an external incision such as cutting through the lip, chin and jaw. The so-called DaVinci single-port system has a single access ("port") with a diameter of just around 2.5 centimetres, through which a camera and fine surgical instruments are inserted together. This means that even hard-to-reach areas such as the base of the tongue can be operated on very precisely and particularly gently. "We are now deliberately starting with routine procedures to gain experience in using the system. In the next step, we want to test which more complex operations we can also perform safely and successfully with the surgical robot," says Dr. Dr. Jonas Wüster, Senior Physician at the Department of Oral, Maxillofacial, and Regional Plastic Surgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

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Image: Training on the simulator, advice from international experts and detailed coordination of the technical processes: the use of the surgical robot was carefully prepared over many months.
Image source: Medical Center - University of Freiburg