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Protein C Deficiency in Microvascular Head and Neck Reconstruction
Author(s) -
Ayala Carlos,
Blackwell Keith E.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-199902000-00016
Subject(s) - medicine , protein c deficiency , surgery , perioperative , head and neck cancer , head and neck , incidence (geometry) , thrombosis , free flap , hemostasis , free flap reconstruction , venous thrombosis , radiation therapy , physics , optics
Objective : To determine the incidence of perioperative protein C deficiency in patients undergoing free flap reconstruction of cancer‐related defects in the head and neck. Study Design : Prospective case series. Intervention : Ten patients underwent microvascular reconstruction after surgical therapy of carcinomas of the oral cavity or oropharynx. Coagulation studies were determined in all patients 72 hours after surgery. Setting : Academic tertiary care medical center Results : Protein C deficiency was detected in 70% of patients. One free flap failure was attributed to protein C deficiency. Conclusions : Vitamin K–dependent clotting factors are frequently deficient during the postoperative period after major head and neck surgery, which may result in a state of hypercoagulability. Protein C deficiency should be considered as a possible cause of free flap thrombosis in patients who undergo microvascular head and neck reconstruction.