Value of nutritional support in patients with pharingocutaneous fistula

Introduction: A prospective and statistic study is presented to evaluate the efficacy of nutritional support in the postoperative care of patients with pharyngocutaneous fistula after laryngectomy. Patients and Methods: All patients who developed pharyngocutaneous fistula after total o partial laryngectomy between 2001 and 2004 were included and assigned to the study group if a supplementary and enteral nutrition was started through the nasogastric tube, and to the control group if a conventional liquid diet was given. Nutrition of patients in the study group was controlled by an Endocrinologist. Results: 32 patients were included (14 in the study group and 18 in the control group). Both groups were similar for all variables measured except for the length of hospital stay (mean difference 31,02 days) and the need for surgical closure (33% in the control group and 0% in the study group). These differences were found statistically significant. Discussion and Conclusions: Postoperative supplementary enteral nutrition controlled by the Endocrinologist reduced the need for surgical treatment of pharyngocutaneous fistula and shortened the stay in hospital of these patients. More studies are needed to prove the efficacy of preoperative nutrition in reducing the incidence of fistula after laryngectomy