Free flap donor site during early review consultations: is it really an issue?

Donor site complications, following microvascular free tissue transfer, can limit recovery in patients treated for head and neck cancer, with a curative intent. The Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI-HN) is a prompt list that provides patients with repeated opportunities to raise issues they feel are important and want to discuss. Here, we look at baseline results from a cluster preference randomised control trial with consultants either “using” or “not using” the PCI package in clinic to identify patient concerns. UWQOL results were presented from 67 consecutive patients having reconstruction with free tissue transfer and PCI results from 25 of these patients in the PCI arm of the trial. During early review consultations patients most wanted to discuss issues related to dental health, dry mouth, and chewing. Donor site morbidity, in our patient sample, did not appear to be an issue that patients wanted to discuss.