Skip to main content
AAO-HNSF 2023 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.

Head and Neck Surgery

Predictors of Discharge Location Following Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery

Sunday, October 1, 2023
4:39 PM - 4:45 PM East Coast USA Time
Location: 201AB

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Jonathan D. West, MD

    Resident Physician
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
    Los Angeles, CA, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • IM

    Isabelle L. Magro, MD

    Resident Physician
    Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
    Los Angeles, CA, United States

  • Matthew E. Lin, BS

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of USC
    Alhambra, CA, United States

  • Tyler J. Gallagher, BS, BA

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of USC
    Monterey park, CA, United States

  • MP

    Marcus F. Paoletti, BA

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine
    Los Angeles, CA, United States

  • TA

    Tobi O. Ayo-Ajibola, BS

    MEDICAL STUDENT
    Keck School of Medicine of USC
    Granite Bay, California, United States

    • Senior Author(s)

  • Mark S. Swanson, MD

    Associate Professor of Otolaryngology
    University of Southern California
    los angeles, CA, United States

Disclosure(s):
Matthew E. Lin, BS: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Introduction: No studies have examined the impact of post acute care on otolaryngology outcomes. Studies in other surgical specialties suggest that patients discharged home with home health have improved outcomes compared to those discharged to inpatient facilities. This study aims to identify factors that predict type of post acute care and examine the impact of post acute care on outcomes after head and neck oncologic surgery.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of adult patients with head and neck cancer who underwent curative intent surgery at a tertiary medical center from June 2016-2021. The primary exposure was type of post acute care - home with or without home health or inpatient facility. We examined predictors of discharge to inpatient facilities, and compared functional outcomes between cohorts, including post op ECOG performance status score, mobility, and swallow function (PO status) at 3 months post-operation. Descriptive and univariate statistics have been run.

Results: 77 patients are currently included in this study with an anticipated sample size of 200. 60 patients were discharged to home and 17 were discharged to an inpatient facility. Patients discharged with a tracheostomy were more likely to go to an inpatient facility (p = 0.02). Higher ECOG score trended towards significant as a predictor of discharge to an inpatient facility. 3-month post op ECOG score trended significantly higher in patients discharged to an inpatient facility. 3-month PO status/swallow function for patients discharged home was closer to a regular diet, although not significantly. Time to post-op radiation and recurrence rate did not differ.

Conclusions: We expect that a larger sample size will clarify the trends described here. We are interested in identifying risk factors for discharge to an inpatient facility and looking at differences in time to post-operative radiation, functional outcomes, rates of post-operative complication and readmission based on discharge location. Our study’s findings have the potential to inform post-operative care and discharge planning in this patient population.