Limitations of the study
This study has some limitations. First, the design was retrospective in nature, and the sample size was relatively small. Therefore, bias may have been introduced. However, we have routinely collected data on postoperative functional outcomes in head and neck cancer for more than 15 years. Therefore, the reliability and consistency of our data may be adequate. Second, in this study, most patients (87.8%) received adjuvant radiation or chemoradiation therapy after TORS. Therefore, it is a limitation to evaluate functional outcomes after TORS only, excluding the effect of adjuvant treatment. Third, we did not compare the functional results of TORS with those of conventional radical surgery or concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Further comparative studies with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up are necessary to more clearly determine postoperative long-term functional speech and swallowing outcomes after TORS.