Etiology and management of vascular compromise of free flap transplantation:a report with 305 cases / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the causer of, and the way to deal with the measurement of protecting from vascular compromise in free flap transplantation. Methods To retrospectively study the clinical data collected from the 89th Hospital of PLA including 305 cases of vascular compromise in free flap transplantation held on June, 1983 to December, 2006. Accoding to the different tissue flaps and different sites to be repaired, 11 factors of vascular compromise of free flap transplantation were to be investigated including operation design, the recipe of free flap, the variation of vascellum, the skill of recipe, the operation opportunity, the match of vascellum, the debride of vascellum, the vascellum angiotasis, the vascular anastomosis, the management of vascular articulo and the infection. Results Among the 305 cases of free flap transplantation, arterial compromise existed in 270 cases, 10 cases developed arterial compromise during operation, 6 cases were due to the injury of nutrient vessel, the flap survived after the revascularization. 4 cases obtained part necrosis of 10 cases, and the rotation flap and skingrafting covered the raw surface. The rest 213 cases survived and 47 cased failed. Another 35 cases of vein compromise were obtained. Among them, 5 cases survived, part necrosis of 10 cases, and 20 cases failed. Conclusion Vascular compromise is the factor of necrosis in free flap transplantation. It is of cardinal importance to timely and correctly treat the vascular compromise in free flap transplantation whether happened intra-or postoperatively. This is the key to access high successful rate. Preventive measures are even more beneficial than proper management after its occurrence. The venous return disorder was the main factor of free flap transplantation failure.