Free jejunal patch graft for reconstruction after partial hypopharyngectomy with laryngeal preservation

Objectives: To examine postoperative complications and swallowing function associated with free jejunal patch graft transfer after partial hypopharyngectomy with laryngeal preservation. Design: Retrospective medical record review. Setting: Academic research. Patients: A consecutive series of 43 patients who underwent free jejunal patch graft transfer after partial hypopharyngectomy with laryngeal preservation composed the study sample. They represented the following 3 groups based on the type of hypopharyngeal defect: 13 patients with defects of the posterior wall (PW group), 28 patients with defects extending to the unilateral piriform sinus (PS-PW group), and 2 patients with defects extending to the bilateral piriform sinuses (PS-PS group). Main Outcome Measures: Postoperative complications and oral intake ability were compared among the groups. Results: Except for 1 patient, all the patients in the PW and PS-PS groups resumed oral intake within 2 weeks after surgery. Four patients in the PS-PW group had severe dysphagia, 2 of whom could not discontinue tube feeding. Conclusions: Free jejunal patch graft transfer after partial hypopharyngectomy allows satisfactory swallowing function, with a low complication rate. Postoperative dysphagia was slightly more common in the PS-PW group than in the PW group.