title: Late salvage of the ischemic finger after crush injury using flow-through flaps: case report.
abstract: The progressive evolution and late salvage of a posttraumatic digit with poor vascularization has not been discussed in the literature. We report the cases of 3 patients whose fingers were rescued at referral 5 to 16 days after the traumatic event by restoring the arterial inflow by means of flow-through free flaps. All 3 fingers were compromised vascularly with patchy necrosis and absence of Doppler signal distal to the injury. All were salvaged. In our experience, in the setting of a posttraumatic digit with poor vascularization, it is possible to reverse impending necrosis by late revascularization. Frank infection or mummification is considered an irreversible state and a contraindication to salvage.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Cirugía Plástica y de la Mano, Santander, Spain. drpinal@drpinal.com
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: del Piñal
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: García-Bernal
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cagigal
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Studer
authors.forename: Higinio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Regalado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*