Dexamethasone in head and neck cancer patients with microvascular reconstruction: No benefit, more complications

Treatment of oropharyngeal carcinoma causes major morbidity. Treatment modalities include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. In surgery, microvascular tissue reconstruction has become the definitive method to cover large defects after tumor resection. Reconstruction improves the healing and is essential to restore oral function and esthetics, thereby improving the quality of life after an extensive surgical procedure [1–8]. Oropharyngeal tumor surgery is associated with many postoperative problems like respiratory problems, major swelling, prolonged length of tracheostomy, and lengthened intensive care unit and hospital stay.

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