Patency of radial arteries reconstructed after radial forearm flap harvest

Poor patency is cited as a reason to not perform radial artery reconstruction after the harvest of the radial forearm flap. The need for a long vein graft and the presence of a patent ulnar artery are offered as explanations for thrombosis of the reconstruction in this setting. Similar arguments have been made regarding radial artery reconstruction in the trauma setting. In this study, the patency rate for patients undergoing radial forearm flap harvest with immediate reconstruction with reversed interposition vein grafting was evaluated. The mean follow-up time was 24 months, and all seven patients had patent reconstructions. Ultrasound examination revealed slightly larger diameters of the vein grafts compared with native arteries. No areas of stenosis were detected. No complications resulted from harvest of the vein. From these data, we conclude that radial artery reconstruction can be performed with the expectation of patency.