Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Oct;275(10):2575-2584.
doi: 10.1007/s00405-018-5103-4. Epub 2018 Aug 24.

Quality of life after free flap surgery for cancer of the head and neck in patients with or without postoperative complications

Sanna Lahtinen  1   2   3 , Petri Koivunen  4 , Tero Ala-Kokko  5 , Päivi Laurila  5   6 , Outi Kaarela  7 , Janne H Liisanantti  5   6
Affiliations

Quality of life after free flap surgery for cancer of the head and neck in patients with or without postoperative complications

Sanna Lahtinen et al. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2018 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Despite advances in surgical techniques, postoperative complications are frequent after free flap surgery for cancer of the head and neck. The present study assessed quality of life (QOL) in patients with and without postoperative complications.

Methods: QOL was evaluated using RAND-36, EORTC-C30 and H&N-35, and UW-QOL questionnaires.

Results: Of 53 assessed patients, 29 (54.7%) had at least one complication. Those with medical complications (n = 12, 22.6%) had significantly lower QOL in all domains of RAND-36 except emotional well-being. They also reported lower scores in EORTC-C30 domains of financial difficulties, pain, and insomnia and UW-QOL domains of pain, activity, and recreation. The QOL for patients without complications was comparable to the general population.

Conclusion: QOL after free flap surgery for cancer of the head and neck is reduced in patients with postoperative medical complications.

Keywords: Cancer of the head and neck; Free flap surgery; Postoperative complications; Quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2002 Feb;109(2):421-30; discussion 431-2 - PubMed
    1. Oral Oncol. 2007 Nov;43(10):1034-42 - PubMed
    1. Br J Plast Surg. 1996 Jul;49(5):267-73 - PubMed
    1. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 May;152(5):832-7 - PubMed
    1. Acta Otolaryngol. 2017 May;137(5):541-545 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources