Postoperative complications after flap transfer in patients with comorbid conditions

Although flap transfer is a practical choice for many types of wounds or tissue defects, it has a higher risk for the development of surgical-site or medical complications in patients with comorbid conditions. The results of the operations depend not only on the surgical procedure, but also a better understanding of these risk factors. Here we demonstrate our review of the relationship between the presence of comorbid conditions and the postoperative complications in the patients of free flap transfer, and discuss factors thought to influence outcomes of flap transfer from the literature on the reconstruction using flaps. We believe that proper preoperative assessment and postoperative management are important for successful flap transfer, although further studies on these factors are necessary.