The incidence and the risk factors for pharyngocutaneous fistula following primary and salvage total laryngectomy

Šifrer, Robert (author), Strojan, Primož (author), Tancer, Ivana (author), Dolenc, Maja (author), Fugina, Simon (author), Bitenc, Sara (author), Aničin, Aleksandar (author)

The pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) is the most common complication following a total laryngectomy (TL) with a wide range of incidence and various potential risk factors. The aim was to analyse the incidence and potential risk factors for PCF formation in a large study set collected over a longer period of time. In the retrospective study at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery of Ljubljana, 422 patients who were treated for head and neck cancer by TL between 2007 and 2020 were included. The comprehensive clinicopathologic data were collected including potential risk factors related to the patient, disease, surgical treatment and post-operative period for the development of fistulae. The patients were categorized into a group with the fistula (a study group) and one without it (a control group). The PCF then developed in 23.9% of patients. The incidence following a primary TL was 20.8% and 32.7% following salvage TL (p = 0.012). The results demonstrated that surgical wound infection, piriform sinus invasion, salvage TL, and total radiation dose were determined as independent risk factors for PCF formation. A diminishing surgical wound infection rate would contribute to a further reduction of the PCF rate.

• Language: English
• Keywords: chemoradiotherapy, dose of radiotherapy, fistula
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 10 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 8
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185542
• UDC: 616-006
• ISSN on article: 2072-6694
• COBISS.SI-ID: 155287555
• Publication date in RUL: 10.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Cancers
• Shortened title: Cancers
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2072-6694
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517914137

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Elektronski vir
• Keywords: kemoradioterapija, odmerek radioterapije, fistula

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0307
• Name: Rak glave in vratu - analiza bioloških značilnosti in poskus izboljšanja zdravljenja