title: Complications in a consecutive series of 250 free flap operations.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of major and minor flap, donor site, and systemic complications in a consecutive series of 250 free flap operations. The following factors were analyzed to determine their significance on complication rates: age of patient, gender, wound etiology, smoking history, type of flap, operative time, vein graft use, surgeon experience, and the presence of comorbid disease. The major flap, donor-site, and systemic complication rates were 17.2%, 2%, and 6.4%, respectively. The minor flap, donor-site, and systemic complication rates were 7.2%, 12.8%, and 7.2%, respectively. The presence of comorbid medical condition was the only factor which had a statistically significant impact on the rate of major flap complications (P = 0.02). Age and comorbid disease impacted on major systemic complications (P = 0.04).
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Royal University Hospital, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. jdclassen@shaw.ca
authors.forename: Dale A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Classen
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology