Flap Salvage Following Postoperative Venous Thrombosis Diagnosed by Blood Glucose Measurement in the Flaps

OBJECTIVE This is the first paper to report the measurement of blood glucose in flaps to detect early flap congestion and flap salvage following immediate flap exploration. METHODS We performed blood glucose measurement in a superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap and an anterolateral thigh flap postoperatively using Medisafe-Mini (Terumo, Japan), a regular capillary blood glucose-monitoring device. RESULTS The blood glucose measurements were low when in early venous thrombosis. Low capillary blood glucose levels were detected early, even before flap discoloration occurred. CONCLUSIONS Low capillary blood glucose level in congested flaps is an early sign of venous thrombosis. The incorporation of blood glucose measurement in addition to clinical monitoring aids in early detection and possible reduction postoperative complications due to venous thrombosis.