Buried free flaps in head and neck reconstruction: higher risk of free flap failure?

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：M. Reiter ; U. Harréus ; U. Kisser ; C. S. Betz…
• 关键词：Head and neck ; Reconstruction ; Buried ; Free flap ; Survival ; Duplex ultrasound ; Doppler ; Outcome
• 刊名：European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：January 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：274
• 期：1
• 页码：427-430
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Medicine
• 刊物主题：Otorhinolaryngology; Neurosurgery; Head and Neck Surgery;
• 出版者：Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• ISSN：1434-4726
• 卷排序：274

文摘

Thrombosis of the pedicle is central to free flap failure, and early revision of a compromised flap is the key to successfully salvage a flap. Therefore, the majority of free flaps in reconstructive head and neck surgery are used with the ability to visually examine the flap. Sometimes, due to intra-operative circumstances, it is necessary to use a flap that cannot be monitored externally. These flaps are called buried flaps and have the reputation of being put at risk. The current literature provides only limited data to support or disprove this position. A single institution retrospective review of patient charts between 2007 and 2015 was performed. Flap monitoring was carried out with hand-held Doppler of the pedicle hourly for the first 72 h in all cases. Additional duplex ultrasound was performed in the majority of buried flaps. A total of 437 flaps were included into the study. 37 flaps (7.8 %) were identified to fulfill the criteria of a buried free flap. In total, four patients had complications, three of which required operative reexploration. All interventions were successful, resulting in no flap loss in our series. An accurate operation technique combined with meticulous monitoring protocols supported by duplex ultrasound can result in satisfactory outcome of buried flaps. No enhanced risk of flap loss of buried flaps was found in our cohort.