Factors Influencing the Incidence of Severe Complications in Head and Neck Free Flap Reconstructions (original) (raw)

2016, Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open

Complications after head and neck free-flap reconstructions are detrimental and prolong hospital stay. In an effort to identify related variables in a tertiary regional head and neck unit, the microvascular reconstruction activity over the last 5 years was captured in a database along with patient-, provider-, and volume-outcome-related parameters. Retrospective cohort study (level of evidence 3), a modified Clavien-Dindo classification, was used to assess severe complications. A database of 217 patients was created with consecutively reconstructed patients from 2009 to 2014. In the univariate analysis of severe complications, we found significant associations (P < 0.05) between type of flap used, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, T-stage, microscope use, surgeon, flap frequency, and surgeon volume. Within a binomial logistic regression model, less frequently versus frequently performed flap (odds ratio [OR] = 3.2; confidence interval [CI] = 2.9-3.5; P = 0.000...