Abstract 111: Rapid Detection of Acute Vascular Occlusion Using Oxygen Monitoring in a Rat Myocutaneous Flap Model

PURPOSE: Free tissue transfer requires close postoperative monitoring for vascular occlusion. Vascular compromise commonly occurs in the immediate postoperative period in association with failure of the micro-vascular anastomosis. The resiliency of tissue to hypoxia and ischemia is crucial to the success of the surgery. It is estimated that 6 percent to 25 percent of skin flaps require a secondary surgical re-exploration and approximately 10 percent of flaps fail. Currently, all monitoring methods have limitations because they require an experienced operator, suffer calibration difficulties and are expensive. Furthermore, many of these methods impose a significant delay between the time of vessel occlusion and its detection. In this study we introduce implantable oxygen sensors as a new method to detect acute vascular occlusion.