Total laryngectomy and readmission: causes, rates and predictors

Total laryngectomy (TL) is a complex procedure, and patients undergoing TL are at high risk for readmission, which exposes them to hospital-acquired complications. Readmission rate is a metric for quality of care. We aimed to identify the rate, causes, and predictors of hospital readmission within 60 days after discharge following TL.

This is a 12-year retrospective study where we included all patients undergoing TL in a single tertiary care center between 2008 and 2022. Patient charts were reviewed for demographics, comorbidities, and causes for readmission.

Of 83 patients who underwent TL, 12 (14.50%) were readmitted within 60 days. Common causes were surgical site infection (33.33%) and mucocutaneous fistula (25%). Significant predictors for readmission were tobacco use (P = 0.003), African ethnicity (P = 0.004), being unmarried (P < 0.001), lower preoperative serum albumin (P < 0.001), higher preoperative TSH (P = 0.03), higher preoperative neutrophil count (P = 0.035), higher American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score (P = 0.028), and higher Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) score (P = 0.029).

One in every seven patients were readmitted following TL. Frequent causes include wound infection and fistulas. Predictors include preoperative hypoalbuminemia, hypothyroidism, African ethnicity, being unmarried, tobacco use, and a higher baseline burden of comorbidities. Such factors can be targeted to reduce hospital readmission rates.