Assessment of the endoscopic range of motion for head and neck surgery using the SOLOASSIST endoscope holder

Background A ‘third hand’ is useful for holding the endoscope during surgery. The SOLOASSIST camera holder (AktorMed GmbH, Germany), which is used for abdominal surgery, is supposed to be modified for head and neck surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the intraoperative hand-held endoscopic range of motion for different surgical procedures and to define the required technical changes. Methods The intraoperative movements of the hand-held endoscope during sinus surgery, rigid laryngoscopy, and lateral skull base surgery were measured and calculated. Results The endoscopic range of motion during surgery revealed diverse geometric bodies and volumes. For use in the ENT area, the system must be expanded by a manual release function for the driven axes and two additional lockable axes at the distal end of the arm. Conclusion Intraoperative endoscopic range of motions in head and neck surgery are highly specific and, as expected, differ from the endoscopic movements in abdominal surgery. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.