Abstract
Tracheostomy is traditionally used to secure the airway after major oral and maxillofacial
oncological operations. In our unit, as an alternative, patients are intubated overnight
without tracheostomy. We reviewed the case notes of 55 patients who had had a major
intraoral resection, neck dissection, and reconstruction with a free flap. All patients
were extubated and fit for transfer to the ward the following morning. We conclude
that overnight intubation is a safe alternative to tracheostomy, and that the routine
use of tracheostomy for oral and maxillofacial oncological operations should be used
only for a few selected cases.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Selective use of tracheostomy in surgery for head and neck cancer: an audit.Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1997; 35: 43-45
- Complications of tracheostomy in major head and neck cancer surgery; a retrospective study of 60 consecutive cases.Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1994; 32: 3-5
- Tracheostomy.2000 clinical indicators compendium. American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Alexandria2000 (p. 45)
- Early postoperative care for free flap head & neck reconstructive surgery – a national survey of practice.Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2009; 47: 182-185
- Analysis of tracheostomy-associated morbidity after operations for head and neck cancer.Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2000; 38: 509-512
- Complications of emergency and elective tracheostomy: a retrospective study of 150 consecutive cases.Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1990; 72: 218-220
- Changing indications for tracheostomy in maxillofacial trauma.J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1996; 54: 292-296
- Submental intubation versus tracheostomy in maxillofacial trauma patients.J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2008; 66: 1404-1409
- Chest infection following head and neck surgery; a pilot study.Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1990; 15: 363-366
- Pulmonary complications following major head and neck surgery with tracheostomy: a prospective randomised, controlled trial of prophylactic antibiotics.Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004; 130: 1084-1087
- Analysis of risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications in head and neck surgery.Laryngoscope. 1992; 102: 45-47
- Development of a tracheostomy scoring system to guide airway management after major head and neck surgery.Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2009; 38: 846-849
- Advantages of not using the intensive care unit operations for oropharyngeal cancer: an audit at Worcester Royal Hospital.Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2007; 45: 648-651
- Management of post-operative maxillofacial oncology patients without the routine use of an intensive care unit.J Maxillofac Oral Surg. 2010; 9: 329-333
- Need for intensive care after operations for head and neck cancer surgery.Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1999; 37: 502-505
- BAHNO surgical specialities: same patients, different practices?.J Laryngol Otol. 2005; 119: 97-101
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 13, 2012
Accepted:
January 5,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
