Enhanced Free Flap Monitoring Through Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Devices.

Abstract

Negative pressure wound therapy has been successfully used for bolstering skin grafts over muscle flaps and has been shown to improve skin graft take. However, the use of negative pressure wound therapy over free muscle transfers covered with skin graft is not widely used, secondary to concerns of possibly compromising flap perfusion and also interfering with flap monitoring. Herein we describe a technique modification improving the reliability of flap monitoring through a negative pressure wound therapy device.