Jacob S. Brady

Head and neck microvascular free flap reconstruction: An analysis of unplanned readmissions

Unplanned readmissions within 30 days of surgery represent a significant marker for healthcare quality. Small institutional studies have described rates of readmission for patients undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction. However, large, multi‐institutional analyses have not previously been described.

Association of Anesthesia Duration With Complications After Microvascular Reconstruction of the Head and Neck

Importance Prolonged anesthesia and operative times have deleterious effects on surgical outcomes in a variety of procedures. However, data regarding the influence of anesthesia duration on microvascular reconstruction of the head and neck are lacking. Objective To examine the association of anesthesia duration with complications after microvascular reconstruction of the head and neck. Design, Setting, and Participants The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was used to collect data. In total, 630 patients who underwent head and neck microvascular reconstruction were recorded in the NSQIP registry from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2013. Patients who underwent microvascular reconstructive surgery performed by otolaryngologists or plastic surgeons were included in this study. Data analysis was performed from October 15, 2015, to January 15, 2016. Exposures Microvascular reconstructive surgery of the head and neck. Main Outcomes and Measures Patients were stratified into 5 quintiles based on mean anesthesia duration and analyzed for patient characteristics and operative variables (mean [SD] anesthesia time: group 1, 358.1 [175.6] minutes; group 2, 563.2 [27.3] minutes; group 3, 648.9 [24.0] minutes; group 4, 736.5 [26.3] minutes; and group 5, 922.1 [128.1] minutes). Main outcomes include rates of postoperative medical and surgical complications and mortality. Results A total of 630 patients undergoing head and neck free flap surgery had available data on anesthesia duration and were included (mean [SD] age, 61.6 [13.8] years; 436 [69.3%] male). Bivariate analysis revealed that increasing anesthesia duration was associated with increased 30-day complications overall (55 [43.7%] in group 1 vs 80 [63.5%] in group 5, P = .006), increased 30-day postoperative surgical complications overall (45 [35.7%] in group 1 vs 78 [61.9%] in group 5, P < .001), increased rates of postoperative transfusion (32 [25.4%] in group 1 vs 70 [55.6%] in group 5, P < .001), and increased rates of wound disruption (0 in group 1 vs 10 [7.9%] in group 5, P = .02). No specific medical complications and no overall medical complication rate (24 [19.0%] in group 1 vs 22 [17.5%] in group 5, P = .80) or mortality (1 [0.8%] in group 1 vs 1 [0.8%] in group 5, P = .75) were associated with increased anesthesia duration. On multivariate analysis accounting for demographics and significant preoperative factors including free flap type, overall complications (group 5: odds ratio [OR], 1.98; 95% CI, 1.10-3.58; P = .02), surgical complications (group 5: OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.35-4.46; P = .003), and postoperative transfusion (group 5: OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.27-4.20; P = .006) remained significantly associated with increased anesthesia duration; the association of wound disruption and increased anasthesia duration was nonsignificant (group 5: OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 0.75-5.31; P = .16). Conclusions and Relevance Increasing anesthesia duration was associated with significantly increased rates of surgical complications, especially the requirement for postoperative transfusion. Rates of medical complications were not significantly altered, and overall mortality remained unaffected. Avoidance of excessive blood loss and prolonged anesthesia time should be the goal when performing head and neck free flap surgery. Level of Evidence 3.

The effect of training level on complications after free flap surgery of the head and neck

OBJECTIVES Analyze postoperative complications after free flap surgery based on PGY training level. METHODS Data on free flap surgeries of the head and neck performed from 2005 to 2013 was collected from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Cases identifying the status of resident participation in the surgery and the PGY level were included. RESULTS There were 582 cases with primary surgeon data available. 63 cases were performed with a junior resident, 211 were performed with the assistance of a senior resident, 279 cases were performed with a fellow, and 29 cases were performed by an attending alone without resident involvement. The overall complication rate was 55.2%. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of complications between groups (47.6%, 59.7%, 53.0%, 58.6%, p=0.277). After controlling for all confounding variables using multivariate analysis there was no significant difference in morbidity, mortality, readmissions, and reoperation amongst the groups. Furthermore, when comparing resident versus fellow involvement using multivariate analysis there were no significant differences in morbidity (OR=0.768[0.522-1.129]), mortality (OR=1.489[0.341-6.499]), readmissions (OR=1.018[0.458-2.262]), and reoperation (OR=0.863[0.446-1.670]). CONCLUSION Resident and fellow participation in microvascular reconstructive cases does not appear to increase 30-day rates of medical, surgical, or overall complications.

Postoperative complications of total laryngectomy in diabetic patients: Thyroidectomy Outcomes in DM Patients

Analyze postoperative complications of total laryngectomies (TL) in patients with diabetes mellitus and apply these data toward preoperative management of diabetic patients undergoing TL.

Survival Impact of Initial Therapy in Patients with T1-T2 Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective Laryngeal cancer most commonly arises from the glottis. Comparable outcomes in survival have been shown in patients with early glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated with either surgery or radiotherapy. Study Design and Setting Administrative database study. Subjects and Methods The US National Cancer Institute’s SEER database (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) was queried for cases of early glottic cancer (T1-T2N0M0, 1988-2012). We identified 13,312 qualifying cases. Patient demographics, therapeutic measures, and survival outcomes were examined with appropriate univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Early glottic cancer has a mean age at diagnosis of 64.8 ± 11.6 years and a male:female ratio of 6.9:1. The most common treatment modality was radiotherapy alone (51.6%), followed by combination therapy with surgery first (31.5%). Overall, the 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rate was 88.4%. When stratified by treatment modality and stage, 5-year DSS for T1 tumors was 93.2% with surgery alone and 89.0% with radiation alone (P < .0001). With combination therapy, the 5-year DSS was 91.3% for surgery first and 84.9% for radiation first (P = .0239). In T2 tumors, 5-year DSS was improved with single-modality therapy versus multimodality therapy (81.1% vs 76.4; P = .0255). Conclusion In T1 disease, surgery alone shows improved 5-year DSS versus radiation alone, but this difference was not observed in T2 tumors. Additionally, surgery, rather than radiation, shows improved 5-year DSS when implemented as a first-line therapy. Combination therapy does not show improved 5-year DSS for early glottic cancer.

Laryngectomy and smoking: An analysis of postoperative risk

To investigate the impact of smoking on complication rates following total laryngectomy.

Effect of diabetes mellitus on postoperative endoscopic sinus surgery outcomes: DM and postoperative ESS

Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has become the treatment of choice for a variety of nasal conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on postoperative outcomes in ESS.

Impact of Body Mass Index on Operative Outcomes in Head and Neck Free Flap Surgery

Objective Analyze the risk for perioperative complications associated with body mass index (BMI) class in patients undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction. Study Design and Setting Retrospective cohort study. Subjects and Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was queried for all cases of head and neck free flaps between 2005 and 2014 (N = 2187). This population was stratified into underweight, normal-weight, overweight, and obese BMI cohorts. Groups were compared for demographics, comorbidities, and procedure-related variables. Rates of postoperative complications were compared between groups using χ2 and binary logistic regression analyses. Results Underweight patients (n = 160) had significantly higher rates of numerous comorbidities, including disseminated cancer, preoperative chemotherapy, and anemia, while obese patients (n = 447) had higher rates of diabetes and hypertension. Rates of overall surgical complications, medical complications, and flap loss were insignificantly different between BMI groups. Following regression, obese BMI was protective for perioperative transfusion requirement (odds ratio [OR] = 0.63, P = .001), while underweight status conferred increased risk (OR = 2.43, P < .001). Recent weight loss was found to be an independent predictor of perioperative cardiac arrest (OR = 3.16, P = .006) while underweight BMI was not (OR = 1.21, P = .763). However, both weight loss and underweight status were associated with significantly increased risk for 30-day mortality (OR = 4.48, P = .032; OR = 4.02, P = .010, respectively). Conclusion Obesity does not increase the risk for postoperative complications in head and neck free flap surgery and may be protective in some cases. When assessing a patient’s fitness for surgery, underweight status or recent weight loss may suggest a reduced ability to tolerate extensive free flap reconstruction.

Impact of diabetes on free flap surgery of the head and neck: A NSQIP analysis

Diabetes is associated with microvascular pathology and may predispose patients undergoing microvascular surgery to complications. This study assesses diabetes as a risk factor for complications following free flap surgery of the head and neck.

Refusal of Cancer-Directed Surgery in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients: Surgery Refusal in Head and Neck Cancer

To investigate the risk factors for refusal of recommended surgery in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treatment