John D Cramer1, Sandeep Samant1, Evan Greenbaum2, Urjeet A Patel3. 1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. 2. Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. 3. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois2Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois.
Abstract
Importance: Airway management during microvascular reconstruction of the upper aerodigestive tract is of utmost importance; however, there is considerable debate about optimal management of the airway. Objective: To examine if free tissue transfer to the upper aerodigestive tract without tracheotomy was associated with an increased rate of airway complications or death. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cohort study of 861 patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction to sites in the oral cavity, oropharynx (excluding the base of tongue), and nasal and/or sinus cavity using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from 2005 to 2013. We compared the rate of airway-specific complications of patients who underwent simultaneous tracheotomy vs those who did not undergo tracheotomy. Exposure: Tracheotomy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The 30-day rate of airway-specific complications, including unplanned intubation, prolonged mechanical ventilation, or death. Results: Among the 861 patients included in this study (mean age 61 years and 63.3% male), 551 underwent tracheotomy and 310 did not undergo tracheotomy. The rate of tracheotomy based on anatomic site was 66.1% for oral cavity (n = 728), 40.5% for nasal/sinus cavity (n = 85), and 70.3% for oropharynx (n = 48). The difference in the overall rate of airway complications between patients in the no-tracheotomy (10.3%) and tracheotomy (8.3%) groups was 2.0% (95% CI, 1.9%-6.4%). There were no significant differences in the rate of airway complications in the no-tracheotomy and tracheotomy groups for death (0.3% vs 0.7%, respectively; difference, 0.3%; 95% CI, -2.0% to 3.2%), unplanned intubation (3.2% vs 2.9%, respectively; difference, 0.3%; 95% CI, -2.0% to 3.2%) or for prolonged mechanical ventilation (8.1% vs 7.3%; difference, 0.8%; 95% CI, -2.7% to 4.8%). On multivariate analysis tracheotomy was not associated with the primary outcome (odds ratio [OR], 0.8; 95% CI, 0.5-1.3); however, preoperative bleeding disorder (OR, 9.0; 95% CI, 3.3-24.4), preoperative dyspnea (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.5-5.5), and resection of the floor of mouth (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9) were associated with airway complications or death. Conclusions and Relevance: Free tissue transfer to the upper aerodigestive tract is frequently performed without tracheotomy, and this is not associated with a significantly increased rate of airway complications. Routine tracheotomy may be safely avoided in a subset of patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction of the upper aerodigestive tract.
Importance: Airway management during microvascular reconstruction of the upper aerodigestive tract is of utmost importance; however, there is considerable debate about optimal management of the airway. Objective: To examine if free tissue transfer to the upper aerodigestive tract without tracheotomy was associated with an increased rate of airway complications or death. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cohort study of 861 patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction to sites in the oral cavity, oropharynx (excluding the base of tongue), and nasal and/or sinus cavity using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from 2005 to 2013. We compared the rate of airway-specific complications of patients who underwent simultaneous tracheotomy vs those who did not undergo tracheotomy. Exposure: Tracheotomy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The 30-day rate of airway-specific complications, including unplanned intubation, prolonged mechanical ventilation, or death. Results: Among the 861 patients included in this study (mean age 61 years and 63.3% male), 551 underwent tracheotomy and 310 did not undergo tracheotomy. The rate of tracheotomy based on anatomic site was 66.1% for oral cavity (n = 728), 40.5% for nasal/sinus cavity (n = 85), and 70.3% for oropharynx (n = 48). The difference in the overall rate of airway complications between patients in the no-tracheotomy (10.3%) and tracheotomy (8.3%) groups was 2.0% (95% CI, 1.9%-6.4%). There were no significant differences in the rate of airway complications in the no-tracheotomy and tracheotomy groups for death (0.3% vs 0.7%, respectively; difference, 0.3%; 95% CI, -2.0% to 3.2%), unplanned intubation (3.2% vs 2.9%, respectively; difference, 0.3%; 95% CI, -2.0% to 3.2%) or for prolonged mechanical ventilation (8.1% vs 7.3%; difference, 0.8%; 95% CI, -2.7% to 4.8%). On multivariate analysis tracheotomy was not associated with the primary outcome (odds ratio [OR], 0.8; 95% CI, 0.5-1.3); however, preoperative bleeding disorder (OR, 9.0; 95% CI, 3.3-24.4), preoperative dyspnea (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.5-5.5), and resection of the floor of mouth (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9) were associated with airway complications or death. Conclusions and Relevance: Free tissue transfer to the upper aerodigestive tract is frequently performed without tracheotomy, and this is not associated with a significantly increased rate of airway complications. Routine tracheotomy may be safely avoided in a subset of patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction of the upper aerodigestive tract.
Authors: Derek K Smith; Robert E Freundlich; Justin R Shinn; C Burton Wood; Sarah L Rohde; Matthew D McEvoy Journal: Head Neck Date: 2021-03-30 Impact factor: 3.821