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Early oral feeding after salvage laryngectomy
Author(s) -
Eustaquio Marcia,
Medina Jesus E.,
Krempl Greg A.,
Hales Nathan
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.21098
Subject(s) - medicine , laryngectomy , surgery , gastrostomy , fistula , gastrostomy tube , retrospective cohort study , basal cell , radiation therapy , salvage therapy , feeding tube , chemotherapy , larynx
Background. Our aim was to determine the feasibility and safety of initiating early oral feeding in patients who underwent salvage laryngectomy on postoperative day 5 and to review the rate of pharyngocutaneous fistula formation.Methods. A retrospective review of 29 patients who underwent salvage laryngectomy was completed. Patients included in the study had radiation therapy ± chemotherapy for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma with subsequent total laryngectomy. Patients were excluded from analysis if they were reliant on a gastrostomy tube preoperatively, had a concurrent complete glossectomy, or developed a fistula before beginning oral feedings. Early oral feeding was initiated on postoperative day 5.Results. Twenty patients met complete inclusion criteria. Pharyngocutaneous fistula occurred in 10% (2/20) of the patients. Patients without postoperative complications on an average remained in the hospital for 7 days.Conclusions. The risk of fistula formation is not increased and the duration of hospital stay may be shortened in patients who were given early postoperative feeds. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009