It used to be, if a patient had a tumor or abnormality in the back of his or her throat where it was hard to reach, surgeons would have to go in through the throat or the jawbone.

The latter was unofficially and half-jokingly known as the “Predator” procedure, for the resemblance to the 1980s sci-fi alien movie.

Technological innovations have brought another science fiction trope to the ear, nose and throat medical community — robots that can work in cramped spaces to heal patients.

Dr. Kyle Tubbs, an otolaryngologist at Glacier Ear Nose & Throat Clinic, said the old method tended to be messy and inconvenient for the doctors as well as painful and invasive for the patients.

“The old method involved big incisions in the neck,” he said. “Or you’d have to break the jaw and split it in half to get to a tumor growing in the back of the throat.”

Flathead doctors are now using a robot, the da Vinci Surgical System, to work on hard-to-reach places such as the back of the tongue.

Tubbs recently used the machine to help a patient with a tumor on the back of her tongue without the invasive procedures of the past. It was the first such procedure in the Flathead to remove the mass and preserve as much of the patient’s tongue as possible.

“It saves the patient considerable pain,” he said. “They can go home the same day and can go back to regular activities. The cost is debatable ”

The applications for the machine, which uses an intuitive remote operating system to control tiny metal arms, include obstetrics and gynecological procedures. The way the machine works, it avoids large incisions and invasive surgeries to remove masses.  

“There is an angled telescope to see what you are working on,” Tubbs said. “And my procedure was all done through the mouth.”

Tubbs, like the da Vinci machines, is a new addition to the Flathead’s medical community. The 34-year old Idaho native spent his residency in Gainesville, Fla., and moved to the Flathead Valley just four months ago. His ability on the da Vinci saves local patients from potentially costly trips.

“Sometimes the procedures had to be sent out,” he said. “Patients would have to leave the valley for the da Vinci.”

While the robot allows innovative procedures to be performed close to home, Tubbs admits it isn’t a panacea.

“It’s not used in the nose at all,” he said. “And some tumors are too far down the throat to really reach.”

The ear, nose and throat field has adopted the machine over the last decade, and like many trends, it has taken a while to reach this corner of the country. But Tubbs isn’t complaining, and has found a new home in the medical haven that is the Flathead Valley.

“I love it up here,” he said. “It’s a great community and there are great facilities.”

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.