Long-term functional outcomes and quality of life after oncologic surgery and microvascular reconstruction in patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer.

Conclusions: Surgery for oral or oropharyngeal cancer with free-flap reconstruction is associated with moderate but persistent functional and quality of life (QoL) problems. Patient age, tumor stage, tumor site, and radiotherapy were the main predictors of functional outcome.

Objectives: To evaluate long-term functional outcomes and QoL, and to determine their predictive factors in patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer after oncologic surgery and free-flap reconstruction.