title: Fat embolism following posterior iliac graft harvest for jaw reconstruction: managing the complications of major surgery.
abstract: Oral and maxillofacial surgeons offer their patients a wide variety of surgical options that may be classified as major or minor surgery. Complications are part of surgery, but major surgery may lead to life-threatening complications that must be managed by the surgical team. Obtaining iliac graft tissue during oral and maxillofacial reconstruction carries the risk of rare but serious complications, such as deep vein thrombosis and fat embolism syndrome. In this paper we describe the latter postoperative complication experienced by a patient undergoing an otherwise routine major oral and maxillofacial reconstructive procedure. A discussion of the factors that stimulate fat embolism during or following surgical procedures is intended to help surgeons prevent this complication.
authors.affiliation: Division of oral and maxillofacial surgery and anesthesia, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Makepeace
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: Torin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Cameron M L
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Clokie
authors.forename: George K B
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Sándor
mesh_terms: D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D004620:Embolism, Fat / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D013516:Oral Surgical Procedures, Preprosthetic / Q000009:adverse effects; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006493:Heparin