title: The fate of the free flap pedicle after free tissue transfer to the head and neck area.
abstract: Little is understood about what happens to the vascular pedicle following free tissue transfer in the head and neck region. The viability of a free flap completely depends on the vascular supply by its vascular pedicle until neovascularization occurs from surrounding tissues. The aim of this study is to find out how long a vascular pedicle lasts following free tissue transfer in the head and neck region.
  
  
  
  Patients were recruited from the Maxillofacial Unit at the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital. A Doppler ultrasound was used to map the vascular pedicle immediately postoperatively, at 2weeks, 6weeks, 3months and 6months.
  
  
  
  Fifty-seven consecutive free flaps underwent colour Doppler ultrasonography at the timepoints described demonstrating the status of the vascular pedicle. All the patients underwent reconstructive head and neck surgery with a wide variety of soft tissue and composite free flaps.
  
  
  
  This study is the first to document the fate of the vascular pedicle over a long time period for a wide variety of head and neck free flaps. This information is important when undertaking revision surgery to the free flap, or planning the vascular supply for a second or third free flap to the head and neck region.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Butterfield St, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia. Electronic address: maartenvangenechten@icloud.com.
authors.forename: Maarten L V
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Van Genechten
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Butterfield St, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Batstone
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013524:Surgical Flaps
keywords: Free flap pedicle; Head and neck cancer; Microsurgery; Microvascular free flap; Oral cancer; Oral oncology; Reconstructive surgery; Vessel-depleted neck