Effect of comfort nursing in the perioperative period of free flap transplantation to repair the defects after surgery for malignant head and neck tumors

To explore the effect of comfort nursing in the perioperative period of free flap transplantation to repair defects of malignant head and neck tumors. This retrospective study included 242 patients with postoperative defects of malignant head and neck tumors repaired using free flap transplantation from December 2017 to December 2022. Among them, 113 patients received routine nursing and were included in the control group, and 129 patients received comfort nursing and were included in the observation group. The perioperative indexes of skin flap transplantation, skin flap necrosis, hospital stay, and cortisol levels were compared. Albumin and pre-albumin levels were compared 1 hour before and 24 hours after surgery. The nursing quality, Self-Rating Depression Scale and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores, and nursing satisfaction were compared between the 2 groups. The success rate of skin flap transplantation in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group, whereas the rates of skin flap necrosis, length of stay, and cortisol levels were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group. The Albumin and pre-albumin levels in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group 24 hours after surgery. The complication rate was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group. The Self-Rating Depression Scale and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group 24 hours after surgery. The satisfaction with nursing was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group. Comfort nursing improved the success rate of free flap transplantation, reduced complications, reduced stress, improved nutritional, and psychological status of patients during the perioperative period, and improved nursing quality and patient satisfaction with nursing.