Early oral feeds in laryngectomized patients.
OBJECTIVE
It is a common practice to start oral feeding after 7 to 10 days in patients who have undergone laryngeal surgeries. It was our observation that when oral feeds were initiated earlier than this period, there was no increase in the incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistulas. This prospective study is about our experience in initiating early oral feeds in the postoperative period (on the 2nd day) in laryngectomized patients.


METHODS
Seventy-eight patients underwent laryngectomy with or without partial pharyngectomy over a period of 38 months between October 2001 and December 2004. The oral feeds were initiated on the 2nd postoperative day in 40 patients. Thirty-eight patients served as controls in whom feeds were initiated after the 10th postoperative day.


RESULTS
Only 1 patient in the study group and 2 patients in the control group developed pharyngocutaneous fistulas. Most patients in the control group wished to avoid nasogastric intubation in the recovery period because of discomfort, gastric symptoms, and the need to taste food.


CONCLUSIONS
With this study we can assume that in a select group of patients, it is possible to initiate oral feeding much earlier in the postoperative period than was formerly thought.
Prasad
Kishore Chandra
KC
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kasturba Medical College and Affiliated Hospitals, Mangalore, India.
Sreedharan
Suja
S
Dannana
Naveen Kumar
NK
Prasad
Sampath Chandra
SC
Chandra
Satish
S
D000368:Aged; D005248:Feeding Methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D007825:Laryngectomy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome