Nasogastric tube feeding after transoral robotic surgery for oropharynx carcinoma.

Abstract

PURPOSE\nTo determine the need for and predictors of nasogastric tube feeding (NGTF) use and duration after transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).\n\n\nMATERIALS AND METHODS\nThis is a retrospective cohort study. For 95 OPSCC patients undergoing TORS with or without concurrent unilateral or bilateral neck dissections (ND), we evaluated NGTF use and duration, along with demographic, clinical, histopathologic, and treatment risk factors.\n\n\nRESULTS\n23.2% (22/95) of patients received NGTF. Univariate analysis found that NGTF was significantly more likely in larger tumor specimens (mean: 2.32\xa0cm vs. 1.84\xa0cm; p\xa0=\xa00.043) and after concurrent bilateral (46.7%) compared to unilateral (17.4%) ND (p\xa0=\xa00.043). Multivariable analysis also found increased tumor size (p\xa0=\xa00.035) and concurrent bilateral ND (p\xa0=\xa00.04) to be significant risk factors for NGTF. The following were not statistically significantly associated with NGTF use: sex, age, smoking history, HPV status, base of tongue (BOT) resection (20%) vs. radical tonsillectomy (25.9%), pT2 (27.0%) vs. pT1 (20.4%) vs pT0 (16.7%), BOT with (28.6%) vs. without epiglottis resection (22.2%), and surgery for additional margins the same day (27.3%) (all p\xa0>\xa00.1). Patients who underwent NGTF had a mean duration of 18\xa0days (2-96, SD: 20.7\xa0days) with 12 (55.6%) having over 2\xa0weeks of use. No significant predictors of longer duration of NGTF were identified.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nA majority of patients undergoing TORS do not need NGTF. When NGTF is needed, the duration of use is usually longer than 14\xa0days. Larger tumor size and concurrent bilateral ND are risk factors for NGTF.