Abstract: PURPOSE: To explore the application effect of domestic robot system in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and to provide reference for the application of robot-assisted technology in the resection and reconstruction of oropharyngeal and facial-neck tumors. METHODS: Eighteen patients underwent surgeries assisted by KangDuo Surgical System at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, between November 2023 and June 2024. These cases comprised 13 oropharyngeal tumors, three facial neck tumors, and a pair of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap procedures. Operation duration, robot operating time,hospitalization periods, postoperative complications, facial aesthetics, facial perioral edema, temporomandibular joint discomfort, and other parameters were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: All operations were successfully completed using the robotic system without requiring conversion to traditional open surgery. The mean operation time using the robotic assistance reached (123.1±85.8) min with a mean total operation time of (333.7±250.2) min. The average postoperative stay in the hospital was recorded as (5.89±4.56) days. In the management of oropharyngeal tumors, 9 patients underwent tumor resections while 4 patients received biopsies. Four cases simultaneously underwent local flap transplantation, and 2 cases received forearm free flap transplants concurrently. All patients with oropharyngeal tumors demonstrated satisfactory recovery following surgical procedures, with no delayed bleeding reported. A 100% survival rate was noted for all flaps utilized, and postoperative pathological examinations revealed no positive surgical margins. After extubation, all patients could eat normally without experiencing significant coughing episodes, tracheotomy tubes were removed according to schedule. A dislocation of the temporomandibular joint was observed in one patient during the procedure, which subsequently improved following manual reduction. Additionally, one patient developed a hematoma at this site on the second postoperative day after submandibular gland surgery. No other complications were reported. Two patients experienced mild throat discomfort a month after their surgeries, yet no obvious discomfort was seen among other patients. All patients had no discomfort 3 months after surgery, and all were satisfied with the appearance during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The KangDuo robot system has yielded satisfactory outcomes within oral and maxillofacial surgery especially inducing less surgical trauma and enhancing patient quality of life. Future advancement should focus on improving equipment precision applicability and inventing specialized tools dedicated to oral and maxillofacial surgeries to address complex maxillofacial procedures.

Key words: Robot-assisted surgery, Oral and maxillofacial surgery, Domestic robot, Oropharyngeal tumor, Facial-neck tumor, Repair and reconstruction