Unplanned reoperation after radical surgery for oral cancer: an analysis of risk factors and outcomes

BACKGROUND: Unplanned reoperation (UR) after radical surgery for oral cancer (OC) is a health threat for the patients. The aim of the study was to identify the incidence of and risk factors for unplanned reoperation following oral cancer radical surgery, and to explore a potential role for long-term survival. METHODS: The present study followed a retrospective study design. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for demographic and clinical characteristics of patients. Survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan–Meier method. The data was analyzed statistically between November and December 2021. RESULTS: The incidence of UR was 15.7%. The primary cause of UR was reconstructed flap complications. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that diabetes, tumor size, type of reconstruction, and nodal metastasis were independent risk factors for UR. Patients undergoing UR had a longer hospitalization, more post-operative complications, and a higher mortality compared with the non-UR group. UR is negatively correlated with the cancer-specific survival rate of patients (Log-rank test, P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: Diabetes, tumor size, pedicled flap reconstruction and cervical nodal metastasis (N2) as independent risk factors for UR was discovered. UR was positively correlated with perioperative complications prolong hospital stay, and increased early mortality, but negatively correlated with the cancer-specific survival rate survival rate.