Head & neck reconstruction: Predictors of readmission

•At least 1 in 10 head and neck free flap patients will have a 30-day readmission.•Postoperative complications are a major risk factor for readmission.•Head and neck free flap surgery does not appear to increase unplanned readmissions.•Further research, including strategies to decrease readmission, is necessary. Unplanned hospital readmission following head and neck cancer surgery is common and associated with significant negative consequences. Because of the vital role that microvascular free tissue transfer plays in the management of head and neck oncologic defects, its relationship to unplanned hospital readmission requires attention. In this review, the incidence of, risk factors for, and reasons for unplanned readmission in patients undergoing free flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer are analyzed. The role of free flap reconstruction as a separate risk factor for unplanned readmission in patients with head and neck cancer is described. Limitations of the existing literature, strategies to decrease unplanned readmissions, and direction for future research are addressed.