Analysis of local infection after pull-through resection and reconstruction in oral cancer patients

Postoperative local neck infection in oral cancer patients can cause delay of oral feeding, postoperative treatment and can occasionally induce severe complications such as DIC, sepsis or rupture of the carotid artery. In this study, we analyzed the rate of postoperative local infection in patients who received pull-through resection and reconstruction of oral tongue cancer. A total of 52 tongue cancer patients were reviewed for postoperative infection and the relationship with operative procedures was analyzed. There were 26 cases of hemiglossectomy, 23 cases of subtotal glossectomy, and 3 cases of total glossectomy. There were 13 cases (25%) of postoperative local wound infection. There was no relationship between the postoperative infection rate and surgical extent, reconstruction procedure, operation time nor preoperative irradiation. Postoperative infection significantly extended the duration before starting oral feeding which decreased the patients' quality of life.