Diagnosis, management and prevention of thrombotic complications in microsurgical breast reconstruction: a review of the literature

Abstract

Autologous free tissue transfer is a safe and effective option for breast reconstruction. It is an increasingly utilized technique with well-demonstrated improved patient satisfaction and quality of life. Microvascular thrombosis is a rare but significant complication of microsurgical breast reconstruction, often resulting in flap failure. Proper diagnosis and timely management of this complication are essential to free flap salvage. While microvascular thrombosis poses a threat to flap survival, several methods may be employed to mitigate its more devastating effects. Here, we present a comprehensive review of arterial and venous thrombotic complications in both the intraoperative and postoperative settings. We discuss preoperative risk assessment, methods for flap monitoring, and operative and medical management of thrombotic complications. We present an updated algorithm for the intraoperative management of microvascular thrombosis adapted to reflect the most recent literature and our novel algorithm for the postoperative management of microvascular thrombosis.

Keywords

Breast microsurgery / free flap monitoring / free flap thrombosis / free flap salvage

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