APPROACHES TO POSTOPERATIVE BLOOD-FLOW MONITORING AFTER FREE TISSUE TRANSFER - WHICH IS THE BEST

Success rates for free tissue transfer (FTT) have greatly improved ove r the last 20 years, partly due to improved technical performance of m icrovascular anastomoses with better optical and instrumental aids. Ho wever, flap failure is still a clinical problem and occurs in 5-10%, m ainly due to blood vessel thrombosis within the first 24 postoperative hours. Salvation rates of failing FTT can be optimized by the prompt diagnosis of irreversibly compromised tissue blood flow and immediate operative reexploration. Therefore, there is a special demand for adeq uate and reliable postoperative monitoring techniques. This article gi ves an overview of all monitoring techniques, which have been performe d both in the experimental and clinical setting after FTT thus far.