Reliability of skin paddle in monitoring blood flow after free fibular osteocutaneous composite flap transfer

VernacularTitle:游离腓骨复合瓣皮岛在移植后血供监测中的作用及血管危象的处理
Author: Chi MAO ¹ ; Guang-Yan YU ; Xin PENG ; Lei ZHANG ; Chuan-Bin GUO ; Min-Xian HUANG
Author Information

1. 北京大学口腔医学院(口腔医院)
Keywords: Surgery,plastic; Surgical flaps; Thrombosis
From: Chinese Journal of Stomatology 2008;43(5):296-298
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Objective To evaluate the reliability of skin paddle in monitoring blood flow after free fibular osteocutaneous composite flap transfer.Methods Seven hundred and fourteen consecutive cases of mandibular or maxillary reconstruction using free fibular flap from May 1999 to September 2007 were reviewed.The cases with postoperative vessel thrombosis were analyzed.Results Postoperative vessel thrombosis occurred in 23 cases,17 were venous and 6 arterial.Among 14 cases of venous thrombosis with color change of skin paddles,only 6 were successfully salvaged,but 3 cases with no color change of skin paddles were all successfully salvaged.For arterial thrombosis.only one flap was successfully salvaged.The postoperative vessel thrombosis rate was 3.2%,and the salvage rate was 43.5%.The overall successful rate of free fibula flap was 98.2%.Conclusions Postoperative vessel thrombosis can not be detected in the early stage if only observing the color change of skin paddle after free fibula flap transfer.