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Microsurgical Strategies after Free Flap Failure in Soft Tissue Reconstruction of the Lower Extremity: A 17-Year Single-Center Experience. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12101563. [PMID: 36294702 PMCID: PMC9604543 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12101563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: There is no clear consensus on the optimal surgical strategy for providing safe coverage in salvage free flap surgery after total free flap failure. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate patients with total failure of the primary free flap in lower extremity reconstruction between 2000 and 2017. Results: In a cohort of 1.016 patients, we identified 43 cases of total flap failure (4.2%). A total of 30 patients received a salvage free flap with a success rate of 83.3% (25/30). One patient received a secondary salvage free flap. Overall limb salvage after primary free flap loss was 83.7% (36/43). Conclusions: Microsurgical management of free flap loss in the lower extremity is challenging and requires a decisive re-evaluation of risk factors and alternative strategies. This should include reconsidering the flap choice with a tendency towards traditional and safe workhorse flaps, a low-threshold switch to different recipient vessels, including arteriovenous (AV) loops, bypasses (especially in case of venous insufficiency) and back-up procedures, such as negative pressure wound therapy or dermal regeneration templates with skin grafting in cases of lower demand and critically ill patients. We derived one suggestion from our previous practice: replacing perforator flaps with axial pattern flaps (“safe workhorses”).
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