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Published on: September 8, 2023
Predictors of salivary fistula after total laryngectomy
Alexandre de Andrade Sousa1, José Maria Porcaro-Salles, João Marcos Arantes Soares
1Faculty of Medicine, Federal Unversity of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil. alexandradeccp@gmail.com
Objective:
To evaluate the incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula after total laryngectomy and try to identify its predictors.
Methods:
From May 2005 to April 2010, 93 patients underwent total laryngectomy. We evaluated complications during and after surgery and compared them with the following variables: gender, nutritional status, previous tracheotomy, tumor location, type of surgery, TNM staging, prior treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, use of flaps for reconstruction and surgical margin. All patients presented with advanced neoplastic disease according to TNM.
Results:
14 (15.1%) patients developed postoperative salivary fistula. The mean time to onset of salivary fistula was 3.5 days, with a standard deviation of 13.7 days. Comparing salivary fistula with TNM variables, type of operation and neck dissection, prior tracheotomy, use of flap, preoperative radio and chemotherapy and surgical margin, there was no statistically significant difference (p> 0,05).
Conclusion:
The incidence of salivary fistula was 15.1% and no predictive factor for its formation was found.