END-TO-SIDE VENOUS ANASTOMOSIS WITH THE INTERNAL JUGULAR VEIN STUMP: A PRELIMINARY REPORT

Abstract: Background. Failure of free flaps is frequently because of failure of the venous vascular anastomosis. A new venous anastomosis technique that uses the stump of the internal jugular vein (IJV) is described, with preliminary data on operative outcomes. Methods. Retrospective analysis of eight head and neck free flap operations in which a venous anastomosis to the stump of an IJV was used compared with 222 other free flap operations in the same period (1995–2001) at a single institution. Results. None of the eight free flaps that used venous end-to-side anastomoses to the stump of an IJV failed. There were 15 failures associated with the other 222 venous microvascular anastomoses (6.8%). Conclusions. This new technique resulted in no failures in eight operations. Advantages of this technique include avoiding creating an anastomosis under tension or requiring a saphenous vein graft and reducing pedicle torsion at the hilum of the flap