Relationship between postoperative delirium and bed rest after microsurgical reconstruction of head and neck cancer

Abstract

Patients undergoing reconstructive microsurgery after head and neck cancer ablation are at risk of postoperative delirium because they have a prevalence of several problems such as advanced age and long operation time. To prevent anastomotic thrombosis, bed rest used to be forced upon the patients after microsurgery. To improve the activity of daily life (ADL) in patients after microsurgery, bed rest was removed from our postoperative clinical path and patients were allowed to walk without restriction. As a result, incidences of postoperative delirium decreased. © 2005, Japan Society for Head and Neck Cancer. All rights reserved.