Medical Student Research Forum Posters

Often, patients that present with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are in the seventh decade of life with various comorbidities that are linked to heavy tobacco and alcohol abuse. The incidence of newly diagnosed HNSCC in the elderly is expected to increase by more than 60% by the year 2030. Optimizing postoperative care is vital for patients as they recover from major head and neck surgery to avoid complications, minimize hospital readmissions, and decrease healthcare expenditure. To our knowledge, there are no studies that investigate healthcare utilization in the elderly after major head and neck surgery. The aim of this study is to identify patient factors associated with increased postoperative healthcare use in the first year after surgery.