Vascular thrombosis is a major contributing factor in flap loss. The incidence of venous thrombosis is higher, but arterial thrombosis may be more severe. Improvements in the surgical technique and perioperative management are highly reliable. We believe that strict models of flap monitoring; well-trained, dedicated staff; and immediate reexploration will potentially further improve flap survival and optimize the quality of life.
Postoperative hematoma after head and neck microvascular reconstruction is not a rare complication and may lead to poor outcome and more complications. The avoidance of NSAIDs preoperatively may prevent hematoma formation. Surgeons should be alert to this situation, and immediate return to the operative room for hematoma evacuation is necessary. Early intervention may contribute to a high salvage rate.
Free fasciocutaneous flap can result in acceptable success rates, but patient satisfaction with appearing, swallowing, and speech function was relatively low after reconstruction. Tumor status (primary or recurrent), flap size, oral commissure involvement, and length of hospital stay are the main factors that affect quality of life.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.