Association between postoperative complications and long-term oncologic outcomes following total laryngectomy: 10-year experience at MD Anderson Cancer Center

Background: Postoperative complications are an independent predictor of poor survival across several tumors. However, there is limited literature on the association between postoperative morbidity and long-term survival following total laryngectomy (TL) for cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all TL patients at a single institution from 2008 to 2013. Demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed, including postsurgical outcomes, which were classified using the Clavien-Dindo system. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results: A total of 362 patients were identified. The mean age was 64 years, and the majority of patients were male (81%). The median follow-up interval was 21 months. Fifty-seven percent of patients had received preoperative radiation, and 40% had received preoperative chemotherapy. Fifty-seven percent of patients underwent salvage TL, and 60% underwent advanced reconstruction (45% free flap and 15% pedicled flap). A total of 136 patients (37.6%) developed postoperative complications, 92 (25.4%) of which were major. Multivariable modeling demonstrated that postoperative complications independently predicted shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16-1.96; P =.002) and DFS (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.05-1.76; P =.021). Other independent negative predictors of OS and DFS included positive lymph node status, preoperative chemotherapy, comorbidity grade, and delayed adjuvant therapy. Severity of complication and reason for TL (salvage vs primary) were not shown to be predictive of OS or DFS. Conclusion: Postoperative complications are associated with worse long-term OS and DFS relative to uncomplicated cases. Patient optimization and timely management of postoperative complications may play a critical role in long-term survival.