Transoral Robotic Surgery Treatment in India

Rahul Saxena, a 58-year-old history professor,...

Rahul Saxena, a 58-year-old history professor, had always been a passionate lecturer. For over a year, he battled a persistent sore throat and a feeling of a lump when swallowing. His voice grew hoarse, making his lectures a strain. After multiple rounds of antibiotics for 'recurrent tonsillitis' failed, an ENT specialist performed a nasendoscopy. It revealed a suspicious lesion at the base of his tongue. A biopsy confirmed early-stage squamous cell carcinoma. The doctor explained that Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) was the gold standard, a minimally invasive way to remove the tumor with precision, preserving his speech and swallowing function far better than traditional open surgery. Terrified of cancer but determined to keep his voice, Rahul agreed. The surgery was precise; he woke with a sore throat but no tracheostomy tube. Recovery was challenging, with a liquid diet and speech therapy, but within six weeks, he was eating soft foods and his voice was returning, clearer each day. The emotional journey was profound: from the fear of a cancer diagnosis and potentially losing his career-defining voice, to immense relief when pathology showed clear margins and no spread. He now feels grateful for the technology that treated his cancer while saving his essence as a communicator.