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Early Feeding After Oral Cavity Reconstruction

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Head and Neck Cancer
Free Tissue Transfer
Interventions
Behavioral: Early Feeding
Registration Number
NCT04787939
Lead Sponsor
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Brief Summary

This is a prospective single-arm non-inferiority trial evaluating surgical outcomes in subjects who are fed in the first days after oral cavity reconstructive surgery. The purpose of the study is to specifically compare the rates of orocutaneous fistula in subjects who are allowed to eat immediately after surgery to those rates published in the literature (individuals for whom oral feeding is delayed for several days after surgery). Eighty nine subjects who will undergo oral cavity reconstructive surgery will be enrolled between Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai West. Study participation will last for 30 days after surgery during which time patients will be examined for any signs or symptoms of surgical site infection or wound breakdown, have several clinical evaluations of swallow function, and be asked to report on several patient reported outcome measures.

Detailed Description

In this single-arm non-inferiority study, the study team will aim to evaluate the safety of early feeding in patients with oral cavity reconstruction who are allowed to eat by mouth on post-operative day 1. Traditionally, surgeons have opted to delay the time to oral feeding in oral cavity reconstruction because of concern that an early oral diet may stress intraoral suture lines and lead to the development of salivary leaks. However, evidence from small studies evaluating oral feeding timing in patients who underwent total laryngectomy suggests that there is no increased risk associated with early oral feeding. As such, the study team will aim to determine whether early feeding on postoperative day 1 is non-inferior with respect to the development of orocutaneous fistula to the standard care as described in the literature. There are roughly 50-60 oral cavity reconstructive surgeries performed at Mount Sinai each year - as such it is not feasible to recruit two study arms for direct comparison.

In addition to salivary leak rates, the study team will report outcomes related to the cohort's wound healing, length of time in the hospital, length of time requiring an enteral tube feeds, swallow evaluation information, and the results of patient reported outcomes measures.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
89
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Early Feeding ArmEarly FeedingEarly Feeding Group
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Incidence of Orocutaneous Fistula30 days

Orocutaneous Salivary Fistula Formation - An orocutaneous fistula or salivary leak is a wound complication that results when saliva or other liquids leak from the mouth through the skin of the face or neck. The subject's oral cavity and neck will be monitored in the standard fashion for development of orocutaneous fistula. The oral cavity will be monitored daily for signs of wound breakdown. The neck will be examined for redness, tenderness to palpation, or increased swelling. Additionally, systemic signs of fistula formation will be monitored such as leukocytosis and fever.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Tongue range of motion30 days

Bedside swallow evaluation outcomes include tongue range of motion. Tongue Range of Motion Scale will be measured in millimeters, with a range of 100-0, 100 indicating full tongue range of motion and 0 indication no tongue movement.

Incidence of Surgical Site Infection30 days

Surgical site infection is defined clinically as fever, erythema, swelling or purulent drainage from the surgical site requiring topical or systemic treatment.

Incidence of Wound Dehiscence30 days

Wound dehiscence is defined as the breakdown at the surgical site with or without intervention.

Rate of PO tolerance30 days

The proportion of patients that are cleared for a diet by the speech language pathology team.

Incidence of Aspiration pneumonia30 days

Aspiration pneumonia is defined clinically based on vital signs, respiratory secretions, and chest x-ray findings indicating pneumonia requiring antibiotic treatment.

Length of hospital stay30 days

Length of hospital stay is defined as the days from admission to discharge.

Jaw range of motion30 days

Bedside swallow evaluation outcomes include jaw Jaw Range of Motion opening which will be measured in millimeters using the Therabite measuring tool and fingers, ranges from 0, indicating \<1, to 5, indicating 3 or greater.

MD Anderson Dysphagia Index (MDADI)30 Days

MD Anderson Dysphagia Index (MDADI) is a survey designed to assess a subject's perception of his or her swallowing ability. Patient responds to questionnaire that best reflects their current experience, ranges from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. The scores range from a minimum of 0 to a max of 100, with higher scores indicating higher functioning.

Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer (PSS-HN)30 Days

Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer (PSS-HN) is a survey aimed at evaluating performance and function with regard to eating, speaking, and eating in public. Subscales provide a range of 100 - No restrictions and full understandability to 0 - Full restrictions and no understandability. Subscales are scored individually with higher scores indicating better performance.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Mount Sinai Health System

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

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