Is POSSUM predictive of morbidity and mortality in laryngectomy patients?

The authors propose that whilst there are many similar factors linked to mortality between cohorts of general surgical and head and neck patients, there are several highly specific risk factors in open surgery of the upper aero-digestive tract in the head and neck which are linked with wound breakdown and morbidity which are omitted from the POSSUM scoring system. The authors warn against the use of this comparative audit tool in its current state for such surgical procedures and recommend the creation of a specific POSSUM for head and neck cancer surgery.