Use of Robotic Surgery for the Management of Orbital Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

Background and Objectives: Robotic surgery represents one of the most significant innovations in the field of surgery, offering new opportunities for the treatment of complex pathologies that require greater accuracy and precision. It is a technology that has become widely used in general, urologic, gynecologic, and cardio-thoracic surgery, but has a limited evidence in the head and neck region. This review explores the use of robotic surgery in orbital pathology, focusing on its applications, benefits, and limitations. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional search method was performed in multiple databases to answer the following question: “What are the applications of robotic surgery in the management of orbital pathologies?” Studies were carefully reviewed by two simultaneous researchers, and, in case of disagreement, a third researcher was engaged. Care was taken to identify the surgical hardware (robotic station) used to perform the surgical procedure. Results: Out of 491 records, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. These included cadaveric, preclinical, in vitro, and early clinical investigations assessing robotic approaches for fronto-orbital advancement, tumor resection, orbital decompression, and other surgical procedures such as lacrimal gland dissection and biopsy, medial and lateral orbital wall dissections, enucleation, and lid-sparing orbital exenteration. The robotic systems evaluated included the Da Vinci Xi, Da Vinci SP, Medineering Robotic Endoscope Guiding System, and a modular multi-arm concentric tube robot, each with specific advantages and limitations. Conclusions: Robotic surgery provides significant advantages for orbital pathologies such as improved precision, visualization, and tissue preservation, with reduced complications and faster recovery, although some limitations still exist. Future advancements, such as smaller instruments and AI integration, promise to improve outcomes, making robotic surgery more effective in treating orbital conditions.