The increasing need of salvage and palliative surgery with microvascular free flaps for advanced head and neck cancers during COVID19 era

© 2021 Annals of Research in Oncology ARO. Published by EDRA SpA. All rights reserved. ABSTRACT Major head and neck oncologic surgery is a high resource-demanding activity. The aim of this manuscript was to highlight the challenges encountered in the management of oncologic head and neck patients undergoing large cancer resection and immediate reconstruction with microvascular free flaps, in a COVID-19 dedicated hospital. We retrospectively analyzed data from patients admitted at A. Gemelli University Hospital Foundation, during the most acute COVID-19 emergency phase from February 2020 to June 2021, who underwent complex head and neck oncological surgery with immediate reconstruction using microvascular free flaps. We therefore reported clinical and management issues encountered during the hospitalization. 1 Head and Neck Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy 2 Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy 3 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy