Jacobson et al evaluated patients whose necks are “vessel depleted” as a result of previous therapies. Improving circulation can improve wound healing and outcomes. The authors are from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
Criteria for a vessel depleted neck:
(1) history of radiation therapy to the neck
(2) history of multiple neck surgeries
(3) major neck vessels (internal and external jugular veins, branches of the external carotid artery, etc) have been resected or have been compromised by previous therapy
The goal in these patients is to re-establish adequate tissue perfusion using microvascular reconstruction.
Vessels that may be useful for the microvascular reconstruction include:
(1) cephalic vein
(2) transverse cervical vessels
(3) internal mammary vessesl
(4) thoracoacromial vessels
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