• Z Guo, W Cui, M Hu, B Yu, B Han, Y Li, X Tang, C Li, and L Li.
• State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Centre for Oral Diseases, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
• Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2020 Sep 1; 49 (9): 1162-1168.

AbstractMicrovascular coupler devices have gained wide acceptance as an alternative to the traditional hand-sewn technique in reconstructive surgery. However, no study has directly compared the efficacy of the coupler and hand-sewn techniques in arterial anastomosis during head and neck reconstruction surgery. A total of 123 patients who underwent surgery performed by a single surgeon between 2016 and 2018 were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into the coupler group and the hand-sewn group according to the technique of arterial anastomosis used. Patients in the coupler group underwent a special procedure including arterial bifurcation to enlarge the recipient artery diameter. Of the 123 free flap surgeries performed, 56 were done using a coupler and 67 with the standard suture technique. One flap in the coupler group failed due to simultaneous arterial and venous thromboses. One flap in the hand-sewn group was lost due to venous compromise. The overall flap survival rate was 98.4% (n=121). There was a significant decrease in anastomotic time when a coupler was used (P<0.001). The complication and flap loss rates were similar in the coupler and hand-sewn groups. The application of the coupler helped to decrease the anastomotic time and achieved satisfactory vessel patency.Copyright © 2020 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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