Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33830587›Full record

ReviewHead & neck2021

Modified vacuum-assisted closure (EndoVAC) therapy for treatment of pharyngocutaneous fistula: Case series and a review of the literature.

Teresa Bernadette Steinbichler, Dolores Wolfram, Annette Runge, Roland Hartl, Daniel Dejaco, Tina Rauchenwald, Claus Pototschnig, Herbert Riechelmann, Volker Hans Schartinger

Open access · hybridAbstract readCase ReportsReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Head & neck, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Intraglandular botulinum toxin in postoperative head and neck fistula: a retrospective analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article
  4. Effects of Myroxylon pereirae, Phenytoin, and Clinoptilolite After Pharyngocutaneous Fistula: An Experimental Animal Model.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Teresa Bernadette SteinbichlerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-2666-226X
Dolores WolframDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Annette RungeDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Roland HartlDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Daniel DejacoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-9176-7415
Tina RauchenwaldDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Claus PototschnigDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Herbert RiechelmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Volker Hans SchartingerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.ORCID 0000-0002-5887-7644
Innsbruck Medical University · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPharyngocutaneous fistula is a potential life-threatening complication following head and neck surgery. There is only limited evidence about the efficacy of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy and endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure (EndoVAC) therapy for the treatment of pharyngocutaneous fistulas.

methodsIn this article, we report on a consecutive case series of six male patients with pharyngocutaneous fistula treated with a modified outside-in EndoVAC technique. We also present a review of the current related literature.

resultsEndoVAC therapy alone was successful in five of the six patients (83.3%) with a median duration of EndoVAC therapy of 18.5 days (range: 7 to 32 days) and a median number of EndoVAC sponge changes of 4 (range: 1 to 9 changes). One patient needed additional reconstructive surgery after prior radiochemotherapy and jejunal transfer. No treatment-related complications were observed.

conclusionEndoVAC therapy is an easy-to-perform, safe procedure for the treatment of pharyngocutaneous fistulae.

Indexed as

Cutaneous FistulaNegative-Pressure Wound TherapyPharyngeal DiseasesEndoscopyHumansLaryngectomyMalePostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective Studieshead and neck cancerlaryngectomynegative-pressure wound therapyradiochemotherapysalvage surgery

Identifiers

PMID33830587
PMCPMC9542148
OpenAlexW3148522265

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.