Risk Factors for Free Flap Failure in 2,846 Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A National Database Study in Japan

Purpose The risk factors for an unfavorable outcome after microvascular free flap reconstruction in head and neck cancer are not fully understood. We sought to identify factors affecting the occurrence of free flap failure. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using data from the national inpatient database in Japan between 2010 and 2012. We identified patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer who underwent tumor resection and consecutive free flap reconstruction. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess risk factors for free flap failure. The threshold for significance was P