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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · South Asian J Cancer
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1785445
Original Article

Reconstructive Head and Neck Microsurgery in a High-Volume Cancer Center—Long-Term Impact of an Early Experience

Bipin T. Varghese 
1   Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgical Services, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Shaji Thomas
1   Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgical Services, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Sourabh Arora
2   Max Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Preethi George 
3   Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Iype EM
1   Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgical Services, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Balagopal PG
1   Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgical Services, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Aniraj R.
4   Govt Dental and Medical Colleges, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Vijayakumar P.
5   S. P. Fort Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Deepthi Simon
4   Govt Dental and Medical Colleges, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
,
Amrita Rao
6   Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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Abstract

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Bipin T. Varghese

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate a 16-year-long outcome of an evolving practical approach to reconstructive microsurgery in a high volume, resource-constrained, head and neck cancer care setting.

Patients and Methods Seventy-three consecutive cases of free flap reconstruction done by the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology team of Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, from October 2004 to May 2020 were prospectively studied for flap viability, cosmesis, morbidity, and oncologic safety. The cases were selected based on their “emphatic” superiority to the conventional alternative as determined by two or more surgeons of the head and neck team or the recommendations of the head and neck tumor board.

Results With the long-term results, this article discusses and validates our strategy for controlled patient recruitment for reconstructive microsurgery to ensure the best resource utilization in a tertiary cancer care center.

Conclusions Adequate training and optimal application are the key factors determining success in microvascular reconstructive surgery in resource-constrained, high-volume cancer care facilities.

Keywords

head and neck cancer - highly restricted reconstructive microsurgery - high volume - tertiary cancer center


Publication History

Article published online:
15 April 2024

© 2024. MedIntel Services Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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