Swallowing-Related Quality of Life After Carotid Body Tumor Resection: A Longitudinal Trajectory Analysis.

OBJECTIVES

To identify longitudinal swallowing-related QoL trajectories after carotid body tumor (CBT) resection and explore associated characteristics.

METHODS

A prospective study assessed swallowing-related QoL using the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory at nine timepoints from preoperation to 12 months postdischarge. Latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) identified heterogeneous trajectories.

RESULTS

LGMM revealed two trajectories: "Stable High Swallowing-Related QoL" (n = 100, 91.7%), with minimal postoperative decline, and "Transient Low Swallowing-Related QoL" (n = 9, 8.3%), showing significant initial decline but near-complete recovery within 3 months. The severe-transient group had significantly higher rates of complex surgery (66.7% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.006), postoperative ICU admission (44.4% vs. 6.0%, p = 0.004), longer hospital stays (8.4 vs. 5.4 days, p = 0.002), and lower education levels (p = 0.038).

CONCLUSION

Most patients maintain excellent swallowing-related QoL post-CBT resection. A distinct subgroup experiences a severe but transient decline, strongly associated with surgical complexity and an intensive postoperative course, enabling early risk stratification and personalized rehabilitation.