Flap perfusion monitoring with an attached surface probe in microvascular reconstruction of the oral cavity

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative flap monitoring is essential in oral microvascular reconstruction for timely detection of vascular compromise. This study investigated the use of attached surface probes for the oxygen-2-see (O2C) analysis system (LEA Medizintechnik, Germany) for intraoral flap perfusion monitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 30 patients who underwent oral reconstruction with a microvascular radial-free forearm flap (RFFF) or anterolateral thigh flap (ALTF) between 2020 and 2022. Flap perfusion was measured with attached (3-mm measurement depth) and unattached surface probes (2- and 8-mm measurement depths) for the O2C analysis system at 0, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h postoperatively. Flap perfusion monitoring with attached surface probes was evaluated for cut-off values for flap blood flow, hemoglobin concentration, and hemoglobin oxygen saturation indicative of vascular compromise and for accuracy and concordance with unattached surface probes. RESULTS: Three RFFFs were successfully revised, and one ALTF was unsuccessfully revised. The cut-off values indicative of vascular compromise for flap perfusion monitoring with attached surface probes were for RFFF and ALTF: blood flow < 60 arbitrary units (AU) and < 40AU, hemoglobin concentration > 100AU and > 80AU (both > 10% increase), and hemoglobin oxygen saturation < 40% and < 30%. Flap perfusion monitoring with attached surface probes yielded a 97.1% accuracy and a Cohen’s kappa of 0.653 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Flap perfusion monitoring with attached surface probes for the O2C analysis system detected vascular compromise accurately and concordantly with unattached surface probes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Attached surface probes for the O2C analysis system are a feasible option for intraoral flap perfusion monitoring.