Among older adults undergoing major oncologic head and neck surgery, characteristics associated with a greater likelihood of attending post-treatment visits in the first year after surgery included discharge to home rather than a skilled nursing facility, living closer to the hospital, and receipt of adjuvant radiation therapy, according to results published in Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. Andrew C. Birkeland, MD, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed 181 patients who underwent a neck dissection with or without a free flap reconstruction. In the 1-year post operative period, the mean number of clinic visits was 6.37, and 70% of patients attended at least four visits. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated a significant association with living closer to the hospital (P=0.013); for every 10-mile increase in distance, the number of decreased by 0.15. Receipt of adjuvant therapy also showed a significant association.
