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BACKGROUND: Perforator flaps yield the best results for the patient with the least morbidity, and they should be considered the gold standard in head and neck reconstruction. Although deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is considered as the gold standard in breast reconstruction, its use in head and neck reconstructive surgery does not seem so widespread. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the use, applications and results of the DIEP flap in the head and neck area. METHODS: Search was conducted in different indexed databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Scielo and Web of Science) and through meta-searcher Trip Database with deep inferior epigastric perforator flap AND head neck keywords. Studies on animal and human experiments published in peer-reviewed journals, where investigators assessed the use of DIEP flap, according to the Koshima criteria, in the head and neck area were considered. RESULTS: A total of 31 articles and 185 flaps with 95% of survival were found. Thrombosis or venous stasis is the most frequent cause of flap loss and 16.1% presented some type of complication, the most frequent being the dehiscence. The most use was in the reconstruction of glossectomy defect secondary to squamous cell carcinoma (30.51%), being able potentially to re-establish sensory innervation in oral cavity. The assessment of risk bias (National Institutes of Health) highlights the lack of uniformity, with no standardisation of the outcome variable collection and monitoring. DISCUSSION: By virtue of its versatility, reliable vascular supply and high flap survival rate, the DIEP flap reconstruction could be an option in complicated 3-dimensional head and neck defects while maintaining the standard of low donor site morbidity.

Many techniques for flap monitoring following free tissue transfer have been described; however, there is little evidence that any of these techniques allow for greater rates of flap salvage over clinical monitoring alone. We sought to compare three established monitoring techniques across three experienced microsurgical centers in a comparable cohort of patients. A retrospective, matched cohort study of 398 consecutive free flaps in 347 patients undergoing autologous breast reconstruction was undertaken across three institutions during the same 3-year period, with a single form of postoperative monitoring used at each institution: clinical monitoring alone, the Cook-Swartz implantable Doppler probe, or microdialysis. Both objective and subjective measures of efficacy were assessed. Clinical monitoring alone, the implantable Doppler probe, and microdialysis showed statistically similar rates of flap salvage. False-negative rates were also statistically similar (only seen in the clinically monitored group). However, there was a statistically significant increase in false-positive alarms causing needless take-backs to theater in the microdialysis and implantable Doppler arms, p < 0.001. This study did not find any technique superior to clinical monitoring alone. New monitoring technologies should be compared objectively with clinical monitoring as the current standard in postoperative flap monitoring.

Since the advent of microvascular free tissue transfer, adjunctive surgical techniques have become sought as a means to improving overall surgical time and outcomes in oncological surgery. Anastomotic devices have provided one such avenue, with staples and coupling devices suggested as an alternative to traditional suturing. We describe our experience with two such devices, automatic staples and the anastomotic ring coupler, in 1,000 cases of free tissue transfer. In 1,400 anastomoses, there was a significant reduction in anastomotic time from suturing (22 minutes) with the use of staples (15 minutes) or the ring coupler (4 minutes), p<0.01. This was without any increase in complication rates. These findings support the use of these devices and suggest an increasing role for modern devices in microvascular surgery.

Background: While the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap is a reliable technique for autologous breast reconstruction, the meticulous dissection of perforators may require lengthy operative times. In our unit, we have performed 600 free flaps for breast reconstruction over 8 years and have reduced operative times with a combination of preoperative computed tomographic angiography (CTA), various anastomotic techniques and the Cook-Swartz implantable Doppler probe for perfusion monitoring. We sought to assess the feasibility of performing two DIEP flaps within the working hours of a single day. Methods: A review of 101 consecutive patients undergoing DIEP flap breast reconstruction in a 12-month period was performed, comparing one DIEP flap per day (n=43) to two DIEP flaps per day (n=58). Complications, outcomes and techniques used were critically analysed. For cases of two DIEP flaps per day, a comparison was made between the use of two separate operating theatres (n=44) and a single consecutive theatre (n=14). Results: Complications did not increase when two DIEP flaps were performed in a single working day. The use of vascular closure staple (VCS) sutures and ring couplers resulted in statistically significant reductions in anastomotic times. The use of two separate theatres for performing two DIEP flaps resulted in a reduction of 59 min in operative time per case (p=0.004). Conclusion: Two DIEP flaps can be safely and routinely performed within the hours of a single working day. By minimising operative times, these techniques can improve productivity and substantially decrease surgeon fatigue.

The need for a secondary source of venous drainage in deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flaps is common, with the cephalic vein Commonly utilized as an alternative venous recipient vessel. In using the cephalic vein, previous studies have described the deltopectoral groove or the infraclavicular fossa as the site for harvest. We describe the use of an anterior axillary skin crease, which can improve aesthetic outcome, reduce the time needed for harvest, enable a greater length of vein to be transposed, and minimize surgical insult to the upper breast/chest wall. An anterior axillary-line skin fold can be used as the site for cephalic vein harvest, and using the methodology described, the technique can be fast and highly reliable and result in a final scar that is barely visible.