Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39871415›Full record

ArticleThe Laryngoscope2025

Inconsistent Associations of Modified Frailty Index-5 With Adverse Head and Neck Reconstruction Outcomes.

Doruk Orgun, Caroline C Bay, Kristine M Carbullido, Aaron M Wieland, Brett F Michelotti, Samuel O Poore

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Laryngoscope, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

6 authors.

Doruk OrgunDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Caroline C BayDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Kristine M CarbullidoDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Aaron M WielandDivision of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Brett F MichelottiDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Samuel O PooreDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.ORCID 0000-0002-6029-3306

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo investigate the consistency of associations between modified frailty index-5 (mFI-5) and postoperative adverse outcomes in head and neck cancer (HNC) reconstruction.

methodsAmerican College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database from 2017 to 2022 was utilized to identify HNC patients undergoing locoregional or microvascular free tissue transfers. Kaplan-Meier estimates and multivariable Cox regression analyses were utilized to compare risk of infections, bleeding, readmissions, reoperations, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and mortality within the first postoperative month for each mFI-5 score with mFI-5 = 0 as reference. Further analyses investigated associations between individual mFI-5 components and the outcomes of interest.

resultsWe included 5,573 patients (median age: 64; 31.5% female), 63% (n = 3,519) of whom underwent microvascular free tissue transfers. Unadjusted univariate analyses associated higher mFI-5 scores with longer hospital stays. In locoregional tissue transfers, adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for reoperation were 1.37 (p = 0.03) for mFI-5 = 1 and 2.19 (p = 0.03) for mFI-5 ≥ 3. In microvascular free tissue transfers, aHRs for MACE were 1.93 (p = 0.04) for mFI-5 = 2 and 6.53 (p < 0.001) for mFI-5 ≥ 3, while aHRs for mortality was 3.88 (p = 0.04) for mFI-5 ≥ 3. No associations were observed between increasing mFI-5 scores and increased relative risk of infection, bleeding, or readmission. Individual component analysis associated congestive heart failure with aHRs of 3.92 (1.84-8.35; p < 0.001) for MACE and 5.30 (2.03-13.88; p < 0.001) for mortality. Additionally, COPD was associated with an aHR of 1.39 (1.16-1.67; p < 0.001) for infections.

conclusionThe associations of higher mFI-5 scores with postoperative adverse outcomes following oncoplastic head and neck reconstruction were inconsistent and possibly driven by individual effects of its components. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 135:2342-2352, 2025.

Indexed as

FrailtyHead and Neck NeoplasmsPlastic Surgery ProceduresPostoperative ComplicationsAgedDatabases, FactualFemaleHumansLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedPatient ReadmissionReoperationRetrospective Studieshead and neck cancer reconstructionlocoregional tissue transfermicrovascular free tissue transferModified frailty index‐5postoperative adverse outcomes

Identifiers

PMID39871415
PMCPMC12230903

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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.