Closed Incision Negative Pressure Therapy for the Recipient Site in Head and Neck Reconstruction.

Area of Science:

• Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Complications
• Negative Pressure Therapy

Background:

• Head and neck reconstruction presents challenges in managing postoperative complications.
• Closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) is a technique used to potentially mitigate these complications.
• Evaluating the efficacy of ciNPT in recipient sites is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the benefits of closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) at the recipient site for head and neck reconstruction.
• To compare postoperative complication rates between patients treated with ciNPT and those without.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational study at a single tertiary care institution.
• Patients undergoing head and neck reconstruction (benign/malignant disease) were divided into ciNPT and non-ciNPT groups.
• Key postoperative complications (skin necrosis, SSI, hematoma, etc.) were analyzed within 30 days.

Main Results:

• 44 patients were analyzed (21 ciNPT, 23 non-ciNPT).
• The ciNPT group experienced higher intraoperative blood loss and transfusion rates (P=.004, P=.019).
• No significant differences in Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa or IIIb complications were observed between groups (P=1.000, P=.693).

Conclusions:

• Overall postoperative complication rates were comparable between ciNPT and non-ciNPT groups in head and neck reconstruction.
• This study highlights practical aspects of ciNPT application in complex reconstructions.
• Larger, prospective, multi-center studies are recommended to validate ciNPT benefits and refine its clinical use.