ArticleCureus2026
Microvascular Free-Flap Outcomes at a Low-Volume Canadian Center: A Retrospective Analysis.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThis descriptive outcomes study evaluated microvascular free-flap outcomes at a low-volume Canadian center where procedures were performed by surgeons with high-volume fellowship training.
methodsA retrospective chart review included 65 consecutive patients who underwent a microvascular free-flap surgical procedure from 2016 to 2021 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Six annual institutional failure rates were compared with six published high-volume-center failure rates using Welch's independent-samples t-test. The primary outcome was total or partial free-flap failure within 14 postoperative days. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications, operative takeback, and flap salvage.
resultsThe mean age of the study sample was 63.29 years; 41 were male, and 24 were female. The radial forearm was the most common harvest site (n = 32, 49%). Post-operative complications occurred in 24/65 patients (37%). Eight patients underwent flap-related operative takeback (8/65, 12%); seven required surgical salvage, corresponding to a partial-failure rate of 7/65 (11%), while one underwent exploration without intervention. All seven flaps requiring intervention were successfully salvaged, yielding a salvage rate of 7/7 (100%) and an overall flap success rate of 65/65 (100%). The mean annual institutional failure rate was significantly lower than the mean rate reported across the six high-volume comparator studies (0% versus 3.33%, p = 0.003).
conclusionFavourable free-flap outcomes and complete salvage of threatened flaps were achieved at this low-volume regional center. These findings suggest that successful microvascular reconstruction can be maintained within an experienced and appropriately supported low-volume program staffed by surgeons with high-volume fellowship training.
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