Preclinical feasibility of robot‐assisted sentinel lymph node biopsy using multi‐modality magnetic and fluorescence guidance in the head and neck

Background Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a staging procedure dependent on accurate mapping of draining lymphatics via tracers. Robot-assisted SLNB enables access to multiple neck levels with a single incision and intraoperative fluorescence guidance to the SLN. Methods Lymphatic mapping in swine was done using a magnetic tracer and fluorescent dye, injected into the tongue. MRI preoperatively mapped lymphatic spread of the magnetic tracer. Dissection was performed using a da Vinci Xi robot guided by fluorescence-imaging of the dye. Results Robot-assisted SLNB was successfully performed in all animals (n = 5). A novel MRI protocol differentiated SLNs (n = 6) from lower echelon nodes (n = 11) based on flow progression. Fluorescence imaging provided valuable intraoperative guidance and correlated with magnetic-positive nodes. Conclusions This study demonstrates preclinical feasibility of a robot-assisted approach to SLNB using magnetic and fluorescent tracers in the head and neck, enabling both preoperative mapping and intraoperative guidance.