Background and objective.

Free tissue transfer has become an increasingly important tool in Plastic Reconstructive Surgery. Despite the high success rates reported in the literature, the procedure can fail due to variables unrelated to the surgical technique.

We carried out this study to know the frequency of complications in a group of patients undergoing free tissue transfer at the Clínica Los Nogales in Bogotá, Colombia, as well as determining factors unrelated to the surgical technique to propose measures that optimize the probability of success of the procedure.

Methods.

Descriptive case series study, in which we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 40 patients undergoing free flap reconstruction between 2017 and 2021. We evaluated the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables of each of these patients.

Results.

The 40 cases of free tissue transfer included 37 reconstructions (92.5%) secondary to oncological resection and 3 to acute trauma (7.5%). The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap was the most frequently performed free flap (50%), followed by the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap (22.5%), the fibular free flap (17.5%) and the radial flap (10%). Fifteen per cent of the reconstructions were unsuccessful: in 10% of cases due to venous thrombosis, and in 5% of cases due to arterial thrombosis of the anastomosis. Age, radiotherapy and preoperative hemoglobin level do not seem to affect flap survival. Smoking was a determining factor in the occurrence of important complications of the flap. Postoperative medical complications occurred in 20% of cases, predominantly cardiac complications.

Conclusions.

Each period of free flap reconstruction involves factors that are likely to influence the outcome of the procedure. Our study indicates that age and smoking history are key factors in this regard.

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