Vascular pedicle assessment during microsurgical autotransplantation of tissue complexes

: The paper describes vascular pedicle patency assessment after autotransplantation of 107 free soft tissue complexes to neck, upper and lower limb areas. In early postoperative period pedicles were patent in 82 (76.6%) patients; in 25 cases thrombosis has developed in 36 hours after surgery. Timely diagnosis of this complication and reanastomosing helped to preserve transplants in 9 (36%) patients and to increase the total rate of successful transplantations up to 85% (91 cases). The role of diagnostic imaging (Doppler ultrasound, duplex scanning and polarography) in early postoperative evaluation of vascular pedicles is analyzed, as well as the role of oxygen tension measurement, which reflects the circulation character in autotransplants of different size. One must take into account the possibility of prolonged circulatory disturbances unrelated to anastomotic thromboses that can take place in large flaps.