Can tissue spectrophotometry and laser Doppler flowmetry help to identify patients at risk for wound healing disorders after neck dissection?
OBJECTIVE
Microcirculation and oxygen supply in cervical skin were measured with an optical, noninvasive method in patients with or without radiotherapy before neck dissection. The course of wound healing was monitored after the surgical procedure to identify predictive factors for postoperative wound healing disorders.


METHODS
Tissue spectrophotometry and laser Doppler flowmetry were used to determine capillary oxygen saturation, hemoglobin concentration, blood flow, and blood velocity at 2-mm and 8-mm depths in the cervical skin of 91 patients before neck dissection in a maxillofacial unit of a university hospital in Munich, Germany. Parameters were evaluated for differences between patients with irradiation (24) and without (67) and patients with wound healing disorders (25) and without (66) (univariate or multivariate statistical analyses).


RESULTS
Velocity at 2 mm was lower in irradiated skin (P = .016). Flow at 2 mm was higher in patients with wound healing disorders (P = .018).


CONCLUSIONS
High flow values could help to identify patients at risk for cervical wound healing disorders.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Nils H
NH
Rohleder
Department of Anaesthesiology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Sandra
S
Flensberg
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Florian
F
Bauer
Institute for Medical Biometry, Epidemiology and Medical Informatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
Stefan
S
Wagenpfeil
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland.
Craig J
CJ
Wales
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Steffen
S
Koerdt
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Klaus D
KD
Wolff
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Frank
F
Hölzle
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Timm
T
Steiner
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: kesting@mkg.med.tum.de.
Marco R
MR
Kesting
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
D010100:Oxygen