Ischemia/reperfusion injury in microvascular surgery
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Updated: Oct 13, 2026

A Pre-clinical Rat Model for the Study of Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Reconstructive Microsurgery
Published on: November 8, 2019
1Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1501 5th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, USA.
Abstract:
Ischemia/reperfusion injury is often the final and irreversible factor causing flap failure in microvascular surgery for head and neck defects. This paper begins with a detailed review of flap physiology and ischemia/reperfusion injury at the cellular level. Subsequently, the pharmacotherapeutic agents used clinically and experimentally to avoid or reverse ischemia/reperfusion injury are discussed. The goal of this review is to provide a framework for understanding the expanding body of literature relevant to ischemia/reperfusion injury in microvascular surgery.

