Maintaining a Healthy Degree of Suspicion: Utilizing SPY Angiography in High-risk Patients.

Sir:

Laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography (most often using the SPY Elite System [LifeCell Corp., Branchburg, N.J.]) is a recent technology that is frequently described in the literature as a method useful for assessing flap viability and preventing flap failure. Although most of the attention on angiography surrounds breast reconstruction, fewer studies have focused on facial reconstruction and even fewer on high-risk patients.

A 68-year-old white woman underwent a paramedian forehead flap after excision of a basal cell carcinoma on her nose. Because of her extensive smoking history, we used SPY angiography 3 weeks after the initial procedure. There was evidence of minimal perfusion of the central portion of our flap, and as such, we sectioned half of it for secondary delay (Fig. 1). Two weeks later, we again performed SPY angiography that demonstrated excellent inflow from her nasal bed, and her pedicle was divided (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1.

SPY angiography 3 weeks after forehead flap placement demonstrating minimal perfusion.

Fig. 2.

SPY angiography 5 weeks after forehead flap placement and 2 weeks after partial flap division. Perfusion improved.

Existing studies on high-risk facial reconstruction patients use SPY angiography to safely attempt reducing the wait time before pedicle division. This is particularly important with paramedian forehead flaps as the externalized pedicle can cause significant distress to the patient by preventing eyeglass use, obstructing vision, and affecting personal appearance.[1] Christensen et al[2] described a case involving a 65-year-old female smoker with history of hepatitis C and polycythemia vera in which pedicle division of a paramedian flap was successfully performed at 3 weeks after angiography showed good perfusion. They successfully implanted a flap that otherwise would have been delayed had clinical judgment, based on visual examination of the flap after pedicle occlusion and pinprick, been the sole determinant. Lee et al[3] used angiography to map flap perfusion over time and also found it useful in turning a subjective decision, based on a surgeon’s clinical judgment and experience, to proceed with pedicle division in smokers into an objective one.

Although most studies have focused on angiography as a supplement to clinical judgment in proceeding with pedicle division, our report records the first instance in the literature in which SPY angiography led to delay of pedicle division and prevention of an incipient serious complication. Although early division of the pedicle may be preferable and could be supported even in high-risk patients, the plastic surgeon should still be wary of signs that the flap is ill suited for transfer, especially in high-risk patients. By maintaining a high suspicion for insufficient perfusion in this population, the surgeon can avoid the pitfalls of premature division of the pedicle. Not only would this be responsible practice, but as Kanuri et al[4] noted in their study on the cost-effectiveness of SPY angiography in prosthesis-based breast reconstruction, substantial costs can be avoided because the treatment of flap necrosis is expensive and occurs more frequently in these complicated cases. Although many factors may be considered in deciding when to transfer a flap, our experience is a reminder that patient safety must always be the priority, especially in risky patients, and that SPY angiography can assist in maintaining it.