ABSTRACT
The ideal monitoring tool to evaluate free flap success should be noninvasive, continuous,
and reliable. A new device, the ViOptix Tissue Oximeter (ODISsey™) based on near-infrared
spectroscopy was evaluated in 30 patients undergoing autologous tissue perforator
free flap breast reconstruction with continuous monitoring of the flap during elevation,
transfer, and the postoperative period. The device accurately reflected the ischemic
drop in oxygen saturation during flap transfer, and the hyperemic response after flow
was reestablished. There were no flap failures, but in two patients, the device indicated
a venous thrombosis before it was clinically obvious and allowed for expeditious flap
salvage. The noninvasive nature of the device, the ability to replace and move the
probe in the postoperative period, and the measurement of end organ oxygenation are
all advantages over other currently available techniques.
KEYWORDS
Noninvasive flap monitoring - near-infrared spectroscopy
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