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Updated: Oct 8, 2025
Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
The Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on Microvascular Head and Neck Reconstruction: An ACS-NSQIP data analysis
Adriana C Panayi1, Valentin Haug2, Martin Kauke-Navarro1
1Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, 02115 Boston, USA.
Background:
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) can predispose patients to poorer surgical outcomes. In this study, we sought to evaluate the impact of MetS on the postoperative outcomes of head and neck microvascular reconstruction.
Methods:
Review of the 2015-2019 NSQIP database identified 5,323 cases of microvascular reconstruction, of which 3,809 were head and neck cases. Of the included patients, 184 had MetS and 3625 did not. The groups were compared in terms of demographics and comorbidities. Postoperative outcomes assessed included mortality, average operative time and length of hospital stay, surgical and medical complications, and nonhome discharge.
Results:
The MetS group had higher rates of medical complications (p<0.0001), sepsis (p=0.02), septic shock (p=0.01), and skilled care-discharge (p=0.0004). Analysis by flap type revealed that MetS patients receiving free skin flaps experienced higher rates of organ space infection (p=0.02), sepsis (p<0.0001), and lower home-discharge (p=0.01). In the free muscle group, superficial incisional infection (p=0.04), UTI (p=0.02), and septic shock (p=0.01) were higher in MetS patients. Stratification by surgical site showed that the occurrence of sepsis was significantly higher in the patients receiving microvascular flap reconstruction of the larynx (p=0.04) or tongue(p=0.03). Stratification of the MetS patients according to treatment for diabetes showed that patients receiving insulin experienced a higher rate of superficial incisional infection (p=0.04). A multivariate analysis verified significantly higher rates of medical complications (p<0.0001), sepsis (p=0.03) and septic shock (p=0.01) in the MetS group.
Conclusion:
Patients with MetS undergoing head and neck microvascular reconstruction are at increased risk of postoperative medical complications, including sepsis and septic shock, and are more likely to be discharged to a skilled care facility. Surgical outcomes were found to depend on the type of flap and site of surgery.
