Pulmonary complications associated with head and neck cancer surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency of short-term pulmonary complications in the patients undergoing various head and neck cancer surgeries in our setup and to assess possible risk factors responsible for these complications.


METHODS
Quasi experimental study.


METHODS
Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi from July 2005 till August 2006.


METHODS
Seventy patients of age group 20 to 80 years, regardless of gender, treated surgically for head and neck cancers were enrolled. Main outcome measures included development of pulmonary complications following 15 days of oncological surgery. The complications studied were pneumothorax, bronchopneumonia, atelectasis, pulmonary embolism and cardiopulmonary arrest.


RESULTS
A total of 24.28% patients suffered from postoperative pulmonary complications; 17.14% developed bronchopneumonia, 5.71% pulmonary embolism, and 1.42% went into cardiopulmonary arrest, none developed pneumothorax or pulmonary atelectasis. A significant correlation of postoperative bronchopneumonia was seen with heavy smoking and assisted ventilation. Pulmonary embolism was associated with extended assisted ventilation and prolonged surgery. Cardiopulmonary arrest was associated with comorbidity and assisted ventilation after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of bronchopneumonia supersedes all of the postoperative pulmonary complications in head and neck oncological surgery. Patients at risk of developing postoperative complications are heavy smokers, diabetics, those undergoing prolonged surgery, tracheostomy, and extended assisted ventilation.
Manzoor
Tahir
T
Department of ENT, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.
Ahmed
Zubair
Z
Sheikh
Nadeem Ahmed
NA
Khan
Muzaffar Mehmood
MM