Early oral feeding after salvage laryngectomy.
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.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. marcia-eustaquio@ouhsc.edu
Marcia
M
Eustaquio
Jesus E
JE
Medina
Greg A
GA
Krempl
Nathan
N
Hales
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017577:Cutaneous Fistula / Q000453:epidemiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016155:Oral Fistula / Q000453:epidemiology; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013997:Time Factors