Superiority of end-to-side anastomosis with the internal jugular vein: the experience of 80 cases in head and neck microsurgical reconstruction

Abstract

The authors report their experience with 80 head and neck reconstructions using free-tissue transfer in which end-to-side anastomosis with the internal jugular vein was carried out. An end-to-side anastomosis with the internal jugular vein has the following advantages. Firstly, the technique overcomes the problems of vessel size discrepancy. It is effectively applied for free jejunal transfer or combined flap transfer based on a single vascular pedicle, of which the size of the proximal end of the drainage vein is very large. Secondly, the internal jugular vein has wide capacity to be the recipient of two or more end-to-side anastomoses. It is effectively used for free radial forearm or rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps in which two or more drainage veins can be included. Thirdly, the respiratory venous pump effect may act directly on the venous drainage of the transferred flap through the internal jugular vein. In our institution, these advantages have made it the technique of choice in head and neck reconstructive microsurgery.