Efficacy of overnight intubation in oral oncological surgeries a retrospective study

Objective. In the post-operative period of maxillofacial oncological operations, tracheostomy is the most commonly used method for securing the airway. These untoward complications made practitioners choose alternative modalities like submental intubation, but literature support on alternatives to tracheostomy for oral oncologic cases is limited. The aim of this observational study is to ascertain whether the use of overnight intubation is a safer and cost-effective practice and if it can be considered an alternative to tracheostomy. Material and methods. 30 patients, 23 males and 7 females in the age group of 34-80 years who underwent treatment for head and neck cancer with major intraoral resection and a unilateral or bilateral neck dissection were included in the study. The following variables were recorded: age, sex, site of tumour, type of neck dissection, use of mandibulotomy/ mandibulectomy, type of reconstruction, duration of stay in ICU, mean hospital stay and Mallampati classification. Postoperative complications, associated with the airway, if any, were recorded simultaneously. Results. None of the 30 patients required re-intubation nor did they develop any respiratory distress post extubation. Conclusion. The purpose of this study is to raise the conscience of every surgeon to cogitate his/her choice of procedure for his/her patients and advocate the use of overnight intubation, as it is a virtuous alternative to tracheostomy.