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Vascular complication in free tissue transfer to the leg
Author(s) -
Muramatsu Keiichi,
Shigetomi Mitsunori,
Ihara Koichiro,
Kawai Shinya,
Doi Kazuteru
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
microsurgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.031
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1098-2752
pISSN - 0738-1085
DOI - 10.1002/micr.21807
Subject(s) - medicine , surgery , complication , microsurgery , free flap , incidence (geometry) , thrombosis , transplantation , vascular access , retrospective cohort study , vein , hemodialysis , physics , optics
The lower‐extremity free flap has a high incidence of vascular complication. A retrospective study of 70 free flap transplants in 70 patients (1987–2000) was conducted to investigate factors leading to vascular complication and free flap failure. The overall success rate was 92% (64 of 70 flaps); the incidence of vascular complications was 22% (16 of 70 flaps). Among 16 complicated flaps, 7 were transferred in severely crushed legs, and 4 were in multioperated legs attributable to chronic osteomyelitis. Venous thrombosis occurred in 12 flaps (86%). The success rate of the patients operated on at Yamaguchi University Hospital was higher (96%) than at other hospitals tested. The key factors contributing to improved outcome in free tissue transplantation in the leg were careful preoperative planning for highly traumatized legs and proper selection of the recipient vein and of the hospital at which immediate reexploration can be performed for vascular complicated flaps. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 21:362–365 2001