The difference between delayed extubation and tracheostomy in post-operative sleep apnea after glossectomy or laryngectomy

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer of the tongue or larynx require glossectomies or laryngectomies and subsequent reconstruction. These procedures remove part of the patient's upper airway. In cancer of the tongue, the removed part of the airway is substituted by a flap of their skin. Post-operatively, it is possible that the patients have problems respiring comfortably. In addition to this, long surgical procedures may simply interfere with their circadian rhythm. To elucidate the possible change in their post-operative respiration, we monitored the patient's respiratory pattern with an apnea monitor. METHODS: We attached an apnea monitor to the patients and recorded their respiratory pattern and arterial oxygen saturation. The patients were monitored for a total of five days: three days prior to the operation, one day before the operation, the day of operation, two days after, and on the fourth day after the operation. The period of monitoring was from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next morning. RESULTS: Sixteen patients completed this study. The patients whose tube was extubated after glossectomy showed frequent apnea, low mean oxygen saturation and low comfort score as compared to the patients with tracheostomy after laryngectomy. Because two failed cases of free skin flap were among the former, it is possible that the frequent apnea is a factor of failed free skin graft after glossectomy and laryngectomy. CONCLUSION: Further studies are required to improve the patient's respiration during their sleep after tracheal extubation in glossectomy.