How contemporary is salvage surgery?

Introduction Especially in light of the radiation therapeutic opportunities, the changing age structure of patients, and the development of the systemic therapy, the question arises how contemporary salvage surgeryis and will be.

Methods The salvage surgery patients oft the last five years were analysed. In the process the patients ’ characteristics, the carcinogen, especially the therapeutic effort (length of hospital stay, surgery time, numbers of revision), the functional outcome and possible predictors were evaluated.

Results From 2015 to 2020 25 salvage surgeries were performed at the ENT-Department of the university hospital (22 men/ 3 women). Every case was a squamous cell cancer. 20 %  of patients had a laryngeal cancer, 16 %  a oropharyngeal cancer and 12 %  a hypopharyngeal cancer. The initial surgery length was meanly 316 min. A complet resection was done in 85 % . 7 of 25 patients were treated postoperatively on intensive care ward with stay length of 30 days. The whole duration of hospitalisation was 49 days. 25 %  achieved complete oral nutriution within 6 month and 50 %  within one year. Four patients died within 6 month. The long-term survival for the remaining 21 patients was meanly 35 month.

Summary Salvage surgery presents a challenge for all involved disciplines, but it is a very useful therapeutic option if a careful selection of patient and an elaborate explanatory meeting and a risk assessment examination of the patient are performed.

Poster-PDF A-1456.pdf

Conflict of interest

Der Erstautor gibt keinen Interessenskonflikt an.

Publication History

Article published online:
13 May 2021