Elderly patients are less likely to be discharged home after free flap reconstruction. Age, ASA score, and length of stay are independent factors for discharge to a nursing or other care facility.

ObjectiveThere has been a significant shift from open craniofacial resection of the anterior skull base to endoscopic approaches that accomplish the same outcomes in tumor ablation. However, when open resection is required, free flap reconstruction is often necessary to provide sufficient well‐vascularized tissue for optimal wound healing as well as providing adequate tissue bulk for cosmesis. This articleaims to providea focused review of free flaps most commonly used in anterior skull base reconstruction.MethodsThis is a state‐of‐the‐art review based on expert opinion and previously published reviews and journal articles, queried using PubMed and Google Scholar.Results & conclusionAnterior skull base reconstruction via free tissue transfer is imperative in limiting complications and promoting healing, particularly with large defects, post‐radiation, and in at‐risk patients. The type of free flap utilized for a particular anterior skull base reconstruction should be tailored to the patient and nature of the disease. This review offers insight into the numerous reconstructive options for the free flap surgeon.

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Deficiencies in fruit and vegetable intake have been associated with oral cancer (oral cavity and oropharyngeal). Salivary rinses contain measurable biomarkers including soluble CD44 (solCD44) and total protein, which are known markers of oral cancer risk. This study investigates the effect of nutritional factors on solCD44 and protein levels to evaluate oral cancer risk and survival. We evaluated solCD44 and protein levels from 150 patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 150 frequency-matched controls. We subsequently characterized the effect of food group consumption and these biomarkers on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients reported eating fewer servings of salad (p = 0.015), while controls reported eating fewer servings of potatoes (p < 0.001). Oral cancer patients who consumed at least one serving per week of green salad were found to have significantly lower CD44 levels than those who ate salad less frequently (mean of log2[solCD44]1.73 versus 2.25, p = 0.014). Patients who consumed at least one serving per week of “salad or other vegetables” had significantly longer PFS (median 43.5 versus 9.1 months, p = 0.003, adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.39 p = 0.014) and OS (median 83.6 versus 10 months, p = 0.008, adjusted HR = 0.04 p = 0.029). These findings suggest that dietary factors, namely greater green salad and vegetable intake, may be associated with lower CD44 levels and better prognosis in oral cancer patients.

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