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How we do it: Postoperative tissue oxygen monitoring in microvascular free flaps
Author(s) -
Raittinen L.,
Laranne J.,
Baer G.,
Pukander J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
clinical otolaryngology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.914
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1749-4486
pISSN - 1749-4478
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2273.2005.00994.x
Subject(s) - free flap , medicine , head and neck , circulatory system , free flap reconstruction , surgery , cardiology
Keypoints • Postoperative circulatory impairment of free microvascular flaps leads to failure of the reconstructions and major re‐operations. • In the head and neck region vitality of the reconstructed site is often difficult to observe especially in flaps placed in the posterior oral cavity or hypopharynx. • The ideal follow‐up method should be easy to use, reliable, harmless to the flap and it should rapidly alert the personnel to circulatory problems. • Thirty‐seven head and neck tumour patients who underwent a major tumour resection and free microvascular flaps reconstruction were monitored with a Licox® probe measuring tissue oxygen pressure (PtiO 2 ). • The system correctly identified all circulatory problems that needed re‐operations with no false negative cases. • The Licox® tissue oxygen pressure monitoring system is a reliable method for detecting postoperative circulation problems in free microvascular flaps.