1. Does Low-Dose Heparin Have a Significant Role in Free Flap Surgery?
- Author
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M. Diya Sabbagh, Si-Gyun Roh, Young-Keun Lee, Mun-Young An, Jin Yong Shin, and Nae-Ho Lee
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Necrosis ,030230 surgery ,Dehiscence ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Hematoma ,Medicine ,Heparin ,business.industry ,medicine.disease ,Thrombosis ,Surgery ,Otorhinolaryngology ,Free tissue flaps ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Anesthesia ,Original Article ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Free flap surgery ,Heparin group ,Low dose heparin ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Background It is controversial issue that heparin decreases thrombosis for microsurgical anastomosis, and its effective role is under discussion. This study is for proving whether low-dose heparin is preventing thrombosis in free flap reconstruction. Methods Through chart reviews of 134 patients, using low-dose heparin for free tissue transfer from 2011 to 2016, retrospective analysis was performed. 33 patients received low-dose heparin therapy after surgery. And 101 patients received no-heparin therapy. Complications included flap necrosis, hematoma formation, dehiscence and infection. Results In no-heparin therapy group, comparing the flap necrosis revealed 16 cases (15.84%). And, flap necrosis was 6 cases (18.18%) in low-dose heparin therapy group. The statistical analysis of flap necrosis rate showed no significant difference (p=0.75). The results showed that there was no significant difference of flap necrosis rate between two groups. Conclusion In this study, patients in the low-dose heparin group had no significantly lower rates of flap failure compared with no-heparin group. This suggests that low-dose heparin may not prevent thrombosis and subsequent flap failure to a significant extent.
- Published
- 2017