title: Raynaud's phenomenon in radial forearm free-tissue transfer.
abstract: During 1998, 69 patients underwent either fasciocutaneous or osteofasciocutaneous radial forearm free-tissue transfers at our institution. Three of these patients (4.3%), who had undergone a total of four transfers, had Raynaud's phenomenon. Three of the four transfers survived without perioperative incident. The one flap that failed had been well vascularized until postoperative day 3. Then, coincident with a decrease in ambient room temperature, the patient's extremities and his flap became cyanotic. A salvage procedure was unsuccessful. In this article, we discuss the perioperative course, proposed pathophysiology, and treatment strategies aimed at optimizing hand and flap outcomes in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. teknos@umich.edu
authors.forename: Theodoros N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Teknos
authors.forename: Larry L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Douglas B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Chepeha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D006085:Graft Survival; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery