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.