None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to investigate the effect of early oral feeding (initiated within 5 days post-surgery) in comparison to traditional postoperative care involves withholding oral feeding for 7–12 days, in free flap reconstruction after head and neck cancer resection. Who is it for? Participants will be adults, who have undergone an intra-oral cancer resection who require a free tissue transfer for reconstruction and have not undergone previous radiation. Study details Patients will be randomised to either standard feedings (diet introduced at day 7 postoperatively) or early feeding (diet introduced day 1 postoperatively). Pre-operative and post operative swallowing assessments will be done by speech pathology. Data will also be collected on key outcomes such as nasogastric tube removal, days spent in hospital, and complications. It is hoped that findings from this study will help researchers and clinicians determine if early oral feeding offers benefits in terms of reduced hospital stay and faster recovery.
Interventions
The early introduction of diet, defined as before day 5 post operatively, in patients that have undergone intra-oral free flap reconstruction following resection of an intra-oral malignancy. The study will randomise patients to an early oral feeding group, or a control group to assess its impact on length of stay, swallowing outcomes and complications. The early oral feeding group will received sips of clear fluids day 1 (e.g. water, broth, plain gelatine), clear fluid diet day 3, and a free flu
The early introduction of diet, defined as before day 5 post operatively, in patients that have undergone intra-oral free flap reconstruction following resection of an intra-oral malignancy. The study will randomise patients to an early oral feeding group, or a control group to assess its impact on length of stay, swallowing outcomes and complications. The early oral feeding group will received sips of clear fluids day 1 (e.g. water, broth, plain gelatine), clear fluid diet day 3, and a free fluid diet day 4 (e.g. milk, ice cream, soups). Patients will receive nutritional supplementation via nasogastric tube, monitored by a dietician, which will be removed once meeting adequate oral intake, defined at meeting 50% of their calculated caloric intake through oral intake.
Sponsors
Metro South Health
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Aged 18 years and over Oncological resection of the oral cavity (Lip, Floor of mouth, Tongue, retro-molar trigone, Buccal, Hard palate, Alveolus) Reconstruction of defect utilizing free tissue transfer
Exclusion criteria
Prior Radiation to the head and neck region An emergency return to theatre within the first 12 hours post-operatively
Outcome results
None listed