ABSTRACT
Poor patency is cited as a reason to not perform radial artery reconstruction after
the harvest of the radial forearm flap. The need for a long vein graft and the presence
of a patent ulnar artery are offered as explanations for thrombosis of the reconstruction
in this setting. Similar arguments have been made regarding radial artery reconstruction
in the trauma setting. In this study, the patency rate for patients undergoing radial
forearm flap harvest with immediate reconstruction with reversed interposition vein
grafting was evaluated. The mean follow-up time was 24 months, and all seven patients
had patent reconstructions. Ultrasound examination revealed slightly larger diameters
of the vein grafts compared with native arteries. No areas of stenosis were detected.
No complications resulted from harvest of the vein. From these data, we conclude that
radial artery reconstruction can be performed with the expectation of patency.
KEYWORDS
Radial artery - reconstruction - vein graft - flap
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Mark KiehnM.D.
Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53593
