Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery
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Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Oct 2017
ReviewPerioperative care of head and neck free flap patients.
This article reviews the recent literature on the perioperative care of head and neck surgical patients undergoing free tissue transfer. ⋯ Rates of complications for head and neck free flap surgery remain stubbornly high. Optimization of perioperative nutrition, antibiotics, fluid management, and the establishment of structured pathways has the potential to decrease these complication rates. However, more research is needed into defining and implementing optimal comprehensive care regimens for this complex patient population.