摘要
Background: Although the surgical outcomes of free flap reconstruction have improved over time, vascular compromise remains a devastating complication. Near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS) is a promising new free flap monitoring technique with the potential for better outcomes than clinical monitoring(CM). This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current evidence regarding the use of NIRS for free flap monitoring.Methods: A systematic literature review was performed, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, on existing NRIS studies, including the clinical outcomes of NIRS monitoring, speed of detection, diagnostic accuracy, variables affecting NIRS accuracy, and cost-effectiveness.Results: A total of 24 articles were included in this analysis. In most instances of flap compromise, NIRS enabled earlier detection of compromise than did CM, by an average of 8.1(0.5±32.0) h. The flap salvage rate of flaps monitored with CM and NIRS(87.2%) was significantly higher than that of flaps monitored with CM alone(50.0%)(P<0.01). The overall survival rate for flaps monitored with CM and NIRS(98.1%) was also significantly higher than that for flaps monitored with CM alone(96.3%)(P=0.02). Blood oxygen saturation was the only variable with a significant effect on NIRS results.Conclusion: NIRS is an objective and reliable flap monitoring technique that provides superior flap salvage and survival rates compared with CM, which translates to cost savings and a reduction in workload for healthcare staff. Further large-scale studies are needed to standardize flap compromise criterion values and efficacy for different flap types.
