Immediate post-operative care on high dependency unit or ward following microvascular free tissue transfer: lessons learnt from a change in practice imposed during the Covid 19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in sudden changes to the established practice of using high dependency (HDU) for the first night of postoperative care following microvascular free tissue transfer. Patients were managed instead on the head and neck ward. This retrospective case-note review aimed to report outcomes in consecutive patients treated before and during the pandemic and to reflect on the implications of ward-based care rather than HDU.235 patients had free tissue transfer between 3rd January 2019 and 25th February 2021, 125 before the pandemic (lockdown 23rd March 2020), and 110 during the pandemic (52 ward managed and 58 HDU managed).
Source: The British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research