Early oral hydration protects against pharyngocutaneous fistula after total laryngectomy or total pharyngolaryngectomy.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of early oral hydration on the incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) after total laryngectomy (TL) or total pharyngolaryngectomy (TPL). A prospective series of 25 patients operated on between October 2017 and March 2019 who received early oral hydration starting 2 days after surgery were compared to a retrospective cohort of 28 patients who did not receive any early oral hydration. These are two consecutive series including all operated patients. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of risk factors for PCF. In univariate and multivariate analysis, early oral hydration was significantly associated with a decreased risk of PCF: 50% vs 20% (odds ratio [OR], 0.25; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.07-0.85; P = .03, vs OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.07-0.85; P = .02). Early oral hydration after TL or TPL reduces the risk of PCF.