What is microvascular free flap surgery?
Microvascular surgery is a technique of sewing two small blood vessels together under a microscope. The surgeon has to select tissue in the body that will do the best job of restoring the function and the appearance of head and neck tissues destroyed by the tumor.
How long does a free flap take?
Your head and neck surgeon will remove the tumor from your jaw and the soft tissue around it. At the same time, your plastic surgeon will remove the bone, tissue, and skin from your donor site. This will take 3 to 4 hours.
What is a free flap in plastic surgery?
Microvascular free tissue transfer is what is commonly referred to as a “free flap”. It is a complex reconstructive surgical procedure that allows for the transplantation of tissue from one part of the body to another.
What is purpose of free flap surgery?
What is free flap reconstruction surgery? “Free flap,” also known as “free tissue transfer,” is a term for a procedure in which tissue and its blood supply (artery and vein) are surgically removed from one part of the body and transferred to another area of the body for the purpose of reconstruction.
How long does it take to recover from free flap surgery?
Generally, recovery after fibula flap surgery takes three to four weeks and includes 10 to 14 days in the hospital. The patient may move in a no weight-bearing fashion on the second postoperative day. The splint is removed and the skin graft is assessed on the fifth postoperative day.
What are the 4 different types of flaps?
There are four basic types of flaps: plain, split, Fowler and slotted.
What is flap 3 and flap 4 landing?
Flap 3 or Flap 4 Flaps are installed on an aircraft’s wings and are mainly used to create a drag in the speed of the plane while landing or taking off. This in turn can reduce the distance required for landing and take-off.
How does a free flap work?
“Free flap,” also known as “free tissue transfer,” is a term for a procedure in which tissue and its blood supply (artery and vein) are surgically removed from one part of the body and transferred to another area of the body for the purpose of reconstruction.
Can a person walk without a fibula?
The fibula is a long, thin bone of the outer leg alongside the shinbone. It is sometimes used to harvest bone that can be used in certain reconstructive surgeries of bone. The fibula can be removed without impacting the individual’s ability to walk or bear weight.
Are there any studies on free flap salvage?
Articles of English language studies reporting on free flap salvage procedures or protocols using thrombolytic drugs were included and reviewed by one author. Of 105 articles screened, 27 studies and case reports were included and qualified for data extraction. Overall, the level of evidence of the current literature is low.
What happens to the flap after free tissue transfer?
However, postoperative microvascular compromise remains an infrequent (1–5%) yet serious complication following free tissue transfer. 1, 2, 3 Anastomotic complications, such as arterial or venous thrombosis, cause substantial and often irreversible damage to the microcirculation resulting in flap failure.
What’s the half life of alteplase in the liver?
Alteplase binds to fibrin in a thrombus and converts the entrapped plasminogen to plasmin, thereby initiating fibrinolysis. It is indicated for catheter dysfunction due to thrombus formation. Half-life is 5 minutes, and clearance is primarily by the liver.
How are thrombolytic drugs used in flap salvage?
Pharmacological thrombolysis is a procedure of well-known efficacy and safety. In current literature, four types of thrombolytic agents are available for flap salvage. In general, all agents enhance the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin with subsequent fibrinolysis thereby degrading clots.