Nutritional status and post-operative complications in patients undergoing surgery for advanced pharyngeal or laryngeal cancer

Purpose Malnutrition is an important prognostic indicator of post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer, however, limited studies utilize validated nutrition assessment tools to accurately assess risk. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between nutritional status on post-operative complications and length of stay for patients undergoing either a laryngectomy, pharyngectomy or pharyngolaryngectomy for head and neck cancer. Methods Patients with head and neck cancer undergoing a laryngectomy, pharyngectomy or pharyngolaryngectomy at a tertiary hospital in Australia were eligible for this retrospective cohort study ( n = 40). Nutritional status was assessed by the dietitian on admission using the validated Subjective Global Assessment tool. Clinical outcomes were collected via retrospective chart review and included length of stay and post-operative complications. Results Pre-operative malnutrition incidence was 40%. Malnourished patients had higher incidences of any type of complication (57% vs 44%, p = 0.013) and pressure injury (86% vs 14%, p = 0.011) compared to well-nourished patients. Well-nourished patients had a clinically important shorter median length of stay compared to malnourished patients (17.5 vs 20 days). Conclusion Early identification and management of malnutrition is essential to minimize risk of post-operative complications and reduce length of stay and should be considered a key component of prehabilitation programs.