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preliminary program

Day 1 (2-12-2026): Training at ORSI

More detailed information can be found on the webpage ‘ORSI Workshop‘.

Day 2 (3-12-2026): VWHHT – BAHNOG meeting

Day 3 (4-12-2026)

  • 7.30 - 8.15: welcome coffee and registration
  • 8.15 - 8.30: official opening and introduction (V Vander Poorten – S Vander Vorst- T Vauterin)
  • 8.30 - 09:50: Session I “TORS in the primary setting: where do we stand now?’ (Chair: M Ansarin)
  • 8.30 - 8.50: Current indications in primary setting (including CUP) (J. Meulemans)
  • 8.50 - 9.10: TORS versus RT, what do the trials tell us? (Christian Simon)
  • 9.10 - 9.30: TORS and de-escalation: a long-lasting marriage? (C. Holsinger)
  • 9.30 - 9.50: Questions/stump the faculty
  • 9.50 - 10.30: (30 min talk + 10 min questions): Keynote I (Chair: A De Virgilio)

Is it time to change our current TORS practice in the light of the available evidence? (John De Almeida, Toronto)

  • 10.30 - 11.00: coffee break, visiting sponsor booths
  • 11.00 - 12.15: Session II “ TORS: emerging insights” (Chair: R Leemans)
  • 11.00 - 11.20: TORS for advanced HNC: role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (C. Sampieri)
  • 11.20 - 11.40: Neoadjuvant immunotherapy: expanding indications for TORS? (JP Machiels)
  • 11.40 - 12.00: Update on completed and ongoing trials (V Vander Poorten)
  • 12.00 - 12.15: Questions/stump the faculty
  • 12.15 - 13.00: Session III: round table on evidence based TORS (4 cases, presented by the moderator) (Chair: W Golusinski / Moderator: V Vander Poorten)

Panel: John De Almeida, S Vander Vorst, S Nuyts, JP Machiels

  • 13.00 - 14.15: lunch break, visiting sponsor booths
  • 13.00 - 14.15: satellite symposium: current insights on neoadjuvant treatment for head and neck cancer (MSD)
  • 14.15 - 15.45: session IV: Salvage TORS (Chair: YW Koh, moderator: J Meulemans)
  • 14.15 - 14.35: indications and limitations of salvage TORS (V Paleri)
  • 14.35 - 14.55: reconstructive options and indications for reconstruction (Ph Gorphe)
  • 14.55 - 15.15: When open surgery should be preferred over TORS (C Piazza)
  • 15.15 - 15.45: Surgeon’s battle: 2 cases of recurrent OPSCC: TORS (De Virgilio) or open surgery (R Accorona)?
  • 15.45 - 16.15: coffee break, visiting sponsor booths
  • 16.15 - 17.40: session V: Round table: Enhancing the Scientific Knowledge Base for Robotic Technologies in Head and Neck Cancer (Chair: G Peretti, moderator: C Holsinger)

Panel: P Gorphe, C Simon, J Harishanker, John De Almeida, G Succo

Topics to be discussed:

  • Defining quality metrics/outcome parameters in robotic head and neck surgery
  • Set-up of multi-institutional collaboration
  • International prospective databasing / datasharing
  • Lessons concerning data sharing we can learn from international trials and organizations (e.g. EORTC, GORTEC, USA)
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  • 17.40 - 18.20: (30 min talk + 10 min questions): Keynote II (Chair: G Spriano)

Towards development of a shared European prospective database (Richard van Hillegersberg)

  • 18.20 - 19.00: (30 min talk + 10 min questions): Keynote III (Chair S Vander Vorst)

How Robotic Surgery Has Transformed Indications, Classifications, and Approaches in Head and Neck Surgery: Lessons  learned from 3,000 Robotic HN Procedures (YW Koh)

Day 4 (5-12-2026)

  • 8.00 - 09.40: Session VI “ The Future of Head and Neck Robotic Surgery: Emerging technologies that will shape the next decade(s)” (Chair: C Sampieri)
  • 8.00 - 8.20: The Future of Head and Neck Robotic Surgery: “Overview of pro’s and con’s of different robotic systems used in Head and Neck surgery.” (A Arora)
  • 8.20 - 8.40: Artificial intelligence in pre- operative assessment and intra-operative navigation (A Paderno)
  • 8.40 - 9.00: Exoscope versus robot: when to use what? (G Peretti)
  • 9.00 - 9.20: European innovations: AIRCARE (L De Mattos)
  • 9.20 - 9.40: Robotics in (head and neck) surgery: what can we expect in 20 years? An engineer’s view on the future. (E. Vander Poorten)
  • 9.40 - 10.20 (30 min talk + 10 min questions): Keynote IV (Chair: C Sampieri )

Robotics and AI in head and neck surgery: what can we expect in 20 years? A surgeon’s perspective. (C Holsinger)

  • 10.20 - 10.50: coffee break, visiting sponsor booths
  • 10.50 - 12.50: Session VII “ Enhancing quality in Head and Neck Robotic Surgery” (Chair: S. Moriniere)
  • 10.50 - 11.10: Patient selection from a radiological point of view: pearls and pitfalls (including local extension and ECE) (R. Hermans)
  • 11.10 - 11.30: Securing the margin: importance, tips and tricks (V. Paleri)
  • 11.30 - 11.50: Postoperative pain management (D Walker)
  • 11.50 - 12.10: Postoperative rehabilitation: a multidisciplinary journey(Jo Patterson)
  • 12.10 - 12.30: Surgical training, certification and credentialing: where are we heading? Importance of standardisation and proficiency based progression training. (A Mottrie)
  • 12.30 - 12.50: Strategies for implementing robotic programs– conditions for building a successful robotic unit (L Kowalski)
  • 12.50 - 14.00: lunch break, visiting sponsor booths
  • 14.00 - 15.30: session VIII: free papers (chair: G Delahaut, W Golusinksi)
  • 15.30 - 16:00: coffee break, visiting sponsor booths
  • 16.00 - 17.30: session IX: Pushing boundaries video session: ‘How I do it’ (chair: T Vauterin)
  • 16.00 - 16.20: Transoral robotic thyroidectomy (YW Koh)
  • 16.20 - 16.40: Remote approaches to the neck: robotic and exoscopic experience. (E Crosetti)
  • 16.40 - 17.00: Parapharyngeal/retropharyngeal space dissection (J. Harishanker)
  • 17.00 - 17.20: Robotic total laryngectomy (G Lawson)
  • 17.20 - 17.30: questions
  • 17.30 - 18.00: Keynote V (Chair: G Lawson)

 EU Robot: what we achieved and challenges for the coming decades (G Succo)

  • 18.00 - 18.15: Closing remarks (V Vander Poorten and S Vander Vorst)