title: Impact of portable duplex ultrasonography in head and neck reconstruction.
abstract: We have reviewed the use of portable duplex ultrasonography (PDU) in 12 patients who underwent soft tissue/bone head and neck reconstruction, aiming to determine its role in the design and management of such complex cases. According to our data, there were modifications either of the surgical plan or of patient's management, based on PDU findings, in 9 (75%) of 12 patients. The use of ultrasound directed to subtle modifications in 3 patients (25%) but to significant changes of the surgical plan in the other 3 patients (25%). Also, the use of duplex ultrasound impacted significantly the postoperative management in 4 patients (33.33%). Thus, significant impact of PDU in patient's treatment was recorded in 58.33% of cases. Portable ultrasound represents generally available method for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative diagnosis and decision making in free tissue transfer, hence could replace in the future the unidirectional Doppler in the hands of head and neck surgeons.
authors.affiliation: Plastic Surgery Department, Intensive Care Unit, General State Hospital of Athens G. Gennimatas, Athens, Greece. gravvani@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gravvanis
authors.forename: Dimosthenis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsoutsos
authors.forename: Iraklis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Delikonstantinou
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dimitriou
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsikeris
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karakitsos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000473:pathology; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps / Q000098:blood supply; D006085:Graft Survival; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D011182:Postoperative Care; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000295:instrumentation; D055815:Young Adult