Impact of post-operative transoral robotic surgery hemorrhage on adjuvant treatment delays in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for the treatment for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) carries a risk of post-operative hemorrhage. Increased time from surgery to completion of adjuvant therapy has been associated with decreased survival. Our objective was to assess for adjuvant treatments delays in patients with post-operative bleeding. Secondarily, to assess post-operative swallowing outcomes. Materials and Methods: Retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent TORS from 2014 to 2021 at a tertiary care center. Patient demographics, adjuvant therapy course, treatment-related dysphagia outcomes, incidence and severity of post-operative bleeding were reviewed. Results: 221 patients underwent TORS, 160 (72%) of which were recommended to undergo adjuvant treatment. 33 patients developed post-operative bleeding, of which 22 patients underwent at least partial radiation therapy (RT) where there was an average of 53.0 +/- 12 days elapsed from surgery to the initiation of RT. In the control group, 124 completed at least partial adjuvant treatment and there was an average of 55.3 +/- 23 days from surgery to start of adjuvant RT. Time to start of RT was not significantly different between the cohorts (p=0.47). 9.1% of patients with bleeding and 23.7% of those without bleeding started radiation therapy within 6 weeks. The odds ratio of requiring a feeding tube during treatment in patients with post-operative bleeding compared to those without was 1.3 (95% C.I. 0.54-3.13). Conclusion: Patients with post-operative bleeding following TORS with TAL were not found to have a significantly higher risk of treatment delays or dysphagia burden, independent of hemorrhage severity.