Abstract
In this study, mainly using biochemical examinations of the blood, we examined the nutritional status of lingual cancer patients requiring reconstructive surgery from among oral cancer patients who underwent surgery. Here, we report on the nutritional status before and after treatment, the nutritional management provided at our department, and the related problems.
The subjects comprised 35 lingual cancer patients who received inpatient hospital care at our department during the 9 years from 2000 to 2008. We classified the patients according to whether they had undergone any preoperative treatment or any type of flap reconstruction, and assessed their nutritional status based on their weight, total protein levels, and albumin levels. Moreover, in recent years, our department has proactively implemented the use of gastrostomies, and we assessed their usefulness.
The results showed that in the cases that underwent reconstructive surgery, both the weight and biochemical examination of the blood tended to indicate a significantly low nutritional status compared to when the patients were first admitted to the hospital. Moreover, nutritional management using a gastrostomy, specifically for postoperative management purposes, was easy to carry out.
