Impact of Preoperative Multidisciplinary Conference on Head and Neck Reconstruction Outcomes

Introduction Head and neck oncologic resections with microvascular reconstruction are lengthy and complex procedures with inefficiencies in the operating room (OR) associated with increased complications and higher costs. Multidisciplinary care has become increasingly used to provide improved care for complex patients; however, the potential role of this has not yet been studied in head and neck microvascular free flap procedures. Methods Patients between 2016 and 2022 treated before and after implementation of the conference were included. Primary outcome was total procedure time (TPT). Demographics, operative details, and postoperative complications were also collected. Results 233 patients were included in the preconference group and 330 in the post‐conference group. Preconference mean (SD) age was 61.6 (12) years versus 62.9 (12) years in the post‐conference group. The post‐conference group was associated with shorter mean (SD) TPT (629 [117] vs. 719 [134] minutes), less mean (SD) estimated blood loss (ESD) (230 [201] mL vs. 306 [211] mL), fewer prolonged lCU stays (>1 day), and fewer returns to the operating room (RTOR). The post‐conference group was associated with TPT ≤9 h ( p < 0.001) on multivariate analysis. Factors associated with TPT greater than 9 h include history of head and neck radiation ( p = 0.003), bony reconstruction ( p = 0.05), stage IVa ( p = 0.009), and stage IVb cancer ( p < 0.001). Conclusions Implementation of the multidisciplinary conference in head and neck surgery was associated with reduced TPT and reduced OR return. Our study suggests preoperative planning conferences may improve surgical efficiency and outcomes in head and neck oncologic resections with microvascular free flap reconstruction. Level of Evidence 3 Laryngoscope , 2024