Total laryngectomy: pre- and intrasurgical variables of infection risk.

Postoperative infection has influence on costs, quality of life, and outcome of the disease. It is suspected that post-total laryngectomy infections have increased in frequency and seriousness, because of the failure of the preservation protocol or the previous radiotherapy, making rescue surgery necessary. The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model of infection based on the pre- and intrasurgical variables considered risky. One hundred fifty five patients with E III-IV laryngeal cancer, with 24.8:1 male to female ratio (mean age, 58 years) who underwent total laryngectomy were evaluated for uni- and multivariate analysis of age, sex, histological grade, primary or recurrent disease, tobacco, alcohol, diabetes, tuberculosis/chronic emphysema, red and white cell counts, erythrosedimentation rate (ESR), albumin, chemotherapy, neck radiotherapy and/or previous surgery, confinement days, type and time of surgery, which were factors in the infection event. A predictive model of infection was developed and included albuminemia (<3.5 g%), >1 liter of alcohol daily, and exclusive surgery of the primary. The sensitivity was 90.5% and the specificity 68%. The variance reached 29.6%. The causes of infection were multiple, having analyzed only 30% of them. However, the resulting model was classified correctly in 83.2% of cases. A careful preoperative assessment, an adjusted planning of the surgery, an appropriate use of antibiotics, and a meticulous operative technique are needed to prevent infection.

Sarcomas of the jaw.

A retrospective analysis is made of 61 patients with clinical and histological diagnosis of pure sarcomas of the jaw treated between 1950 and 1984. Surgery was the treatment of choice in 41 cases. Biopsy or palliative treatment were undertaken in the remaining patients. Twenty-four cases relapsed before 12 months, and 12 relapsed before 3 years. Twenty-four died before 12 months, nine before 2 years, and three after 2 years. At present there is no evidence of disease in eight patients: three out of 25 fibrosarcomas (one more than 1 year, one more than 13 years, and one more than 14 years), three out of 15 chondrosarcomas (one more than 1 year, one more than 13 years, and one more than 14 years), and two out of 15 osteosarcomas (one more than 18 years). The prognosis is gloomy. However, an early diagnosis and radical surgery contribute to an improvement in the course of the disease.

Surgical treatment of thyroid cancer.

This report covers the authors' experience during 19 years with patients at Buenos Aires Municipal School of Oral, Cervical, and Thyroid Surgery at Rawson Hospital; at the Municipal Hospital of Oncology; and in their private practice. During this period, 165 patients underwent surgery for thyroid cancer. An analysis is made of the surgical treatments chosen, the different histological types encountered, and the lymph node and radical neck dissections performed. The advantages and drawbacks of total thyroidectomy, as well as the survival rates, are commented upon.