Why the study?
Outcomes in free flap surgery for head and neck defects in cancer patients have improved, prompting a review of management techniques including cardiac output-guided fluid management and optimization parameters.
This review summarizes techniques for optimizing outcomes in free flap surgery for head and neck cancer defects, including the use of cardiac output-guided fluid management.
Cardiac output-guided fluid management may aid free flap optimization; leaves open prospective validation of outcomes in head and neck reconstruction.
Free flap surgery is the gold standard surgical treatment for head and neck defects in cancer patients. Outcomes have improved considerably, probably due to recent advances in surgical techniques. In this article, we review improvements in the parameters traditionally used to optimize hematocrit levels and body temperature and to prevent vasoconstriction, and describe the use of cardiac output-guided fluid management, a technique that has proved useful in other procedures. Finally, we review other parameters used in free flap surgery, such as clotting/platelet management and nutritional optimization.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Sánchez et al. (2020) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: