Free Flaps 101

First, the surgeons discuss pre-operative management of free flap patients. The most common indications for microvascular surgery in otolaryngology include head & neck cancers. In his pre-operative clinic visits with free flap patients, Eli answers questions about surgery, hospital stay, and recovery. In his experience, patients often don’t understand the extensive nature of these surgeries prior to this visit, so he spends time explaining what a flap is and what the hospital course will look like.

Then, Eli speaks about his experience with virtual surgical planning, which entails remote meetings with engineers. He admits that the learning curve to virtual surgical planning is steep, but that contemplating reconstruction with the help of virtual planning helps him better account for details at the time of surgery. Gopi and Ashley then inquire about surgery and peri-operative management of these patients. Eli addresses vital topics including surgical technique, fluid management, and thrombosis risk.

Finally, the podcast addresses post-operative management of free flap patients. Eli briefly outlines his free flap protocol, emphasizing physical exam signs that indicate need for an OR takeback. He leaves listeners with an important insight: when surgeons have any doubts regarding the viability of a flap, they must return to the OR quickly: the best look they can get at a troubled flap is the one obtained in the OR.