Scott Koepsell Author

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Transfusion of Aged Blood in Head and Neck Free Flap Surgery: Perioperative Outcomes Analysis

Author(s):

Scott Koepsell, Mina Le, Amy Anne Lassig, Bruce Lindgren, Claudia Cohn, Samir S Khariwala

Transfusion of Aged Blood in Head and Neck Free Flap Surgery: Perioperative Outcomes Analysis

Background: Transfusion of aged red blood cells (RBCs), those that are near their expiration date, occurs commonly at tertiary medical centers and is associated with decreased tissue oxygenation. Patients who undergo microvascular free tissue reconstruction of the head and neck may be particularly sensitive to old RBCs because the anastomosis and microvasculature of the flap require smooth flow and sufficient blood flow and oxygenation, respectively.

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DOI: 10.4172/2324-8785.1000140

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