Experimental Study of Tumescence Injection to Provide Anesthesia Without Local Anesthetics.

BACKGROUND: One-per-mil tumescent technique could provide local anesthesia in surgical procedures despite using low lidocaine concentration. Tumescence environment within the tissue may play a role in supporting local anesthesia effect. This study aims to delineate whether the tumescence environment, created by one-per-mil solution without a local anesthetic agent, had a local anesthesia effect. METHODS: Four different compositions and volumes of tumescent solutions containing 1:1,000,000 epinephrine were injected into 50 Swiss Webster mice. The animals were divided into five groups: group A, a tumescent solution with 0.2% lidocaine; group B, a tumescent solution with 0.04% lidocaine; group C, a tumescent solution without lidocaine; group D, a doubled volume of tumescent solution without lidocaine; and group E, controls. Local anesthesia effects were tested by using the formalin test (n = 25) and tail immersion test (n = 25). Pain response behavior in the form of paw licking duration and tail withdrawal latency was observed. The analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test the statistical difference. Significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The four interventional groups showed less pain response behavior and significantly longer tail withdrawal latency (P < 0.05) than the control group. However, the groups showed nonsignificantly shorter paw licking duration than the control (P > 0.05). Group A had the fastest onset of the local anesthesia effect. CONCLUSIONS: The tumescence environment was potentially able to provide a local anesthesia effect, although the solution did not contain a local anesthetic agent as proved by the tail immersion test.

Optimal Time Delay of Epinephrine in One-Per-Mil Solution to Visualize Operation Field.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to find out the optimal time delay of epinephrine in one-per-mil tumescent solution containing 1:1,000,000 epinephrine and 0.2% lidocaine to achieve optimal visualization in hand surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve healthy male subjects who volunteered to join this prospective, randomized, double blind study were selected with convenient sampling technique. The subject's hand and the solution, either the one-per-mil or normal saline solution, were randomly selected. Injections were given to the ring finger's pulp, whereas the oxygen saturation (SpO2) of each finger was measured with Masimo's Radical-7 Pulse Oximeter at 5 min before injection and continuously up to 45 min after injection. The device showed the SpO2 every 2 s. Any value of SpO2 was noted if it stayed the same point for at least 30 s in a row without interruption. The time of the lowest SpO2 was recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The average of SpO2 after injection in the epinephrine group was 96.5 (95-97), P = 0.002, whereas the normal saline group was 97.5 ± 1.168, P = 0.003. Both were statistically significant compared with their respective baseline values. The average delta SpO2 of the epinephrine group was 3.42 ± 0.996, whereas the normal saline group was 1.50 ± 1.567 (P = 0.001; CI 0.923-2.911). The time to achieve the lowest SpO2 in the epinephrine group was obtained at the average time of 13.90 ± 5.38 min after injection. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal time delay of the epinephrine in the one-per-mil tumescent solution was 13.90 ± 5.38 min after injection.

Creating Benchmark of Color Skin Viability Based on Digital Photograph Using Mini Mobile Medical Photo Studio Prototype.

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed to set a benchmark of skin color and texture index based on digital photographs for living and nonliving skin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Photography was taken with standardized camera inside a Mini Mobile Medical Photo Studio (MiniMoPS) prototype. A pilot analysis was conducted by comparing color and surface texture of 16 living and cadaveric skins each. Baseline data of viable and nonviable skin were obtained and analyzed using ImageJ software for its color tone, components, and texture index. Results were expressed as total digital number (TDN). RESULTS: MiniMoPS prototype consists of a dusty white foldable acrylic box, blue Pantone 635C background, and two 8-Watt light bulbs on the ceiling. The whole box is covered with a thick white cotton fabric to eliminate the influence of environmental light. The prototype was tested for its light intensity with David Quiles Lightmeter in various environments setting. It showed a constant result for skin photographs. The best probable cutoff point for skin color is TDN 138.1 (sensitivity 81.3%; specificity 100%). Cadaveric skin shows a higher texture digital number than living skin ([155.4 ± 25.0] versus 120 [80-135]; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In regards of color, TDN >138 is a cutoff point for nonliving skin. Texture index 120 is a benchmark for living skin, whereas nonliving skin indicates 155.

Long-Term Follow-up of Full-Awake Hand Surgery in Major Flexor Tendon Injury of the Hand and Forearm.

BACKGROUND: Full-awake hand surgery (FAHS) has been gaining attention in recent years. However, the extent of full-awake approach for longer and more complicated major surgeries for the hand in trauma cases remains unclear. This study aimed to report the clinical nature of major flexor tendon trauma cases with subsequent repair under FAHS. METHODS: Retrospective study was performed on 9 male patients with an average age of 32.22 (SD, 9.67) years who experienced surgery for major flexor tendon ruptures under FAHS. Besides involving 3 digits in fingers, hand, or forearm, extensive surgery involved 3 cases with surgical dissection similar to the one needed to repair flexor tendons of 3 digits in zone 2. RESULTS: The assessment that was performed at least 3 years after surgery included not only the efficacy of FAHS but also the total active range of motion, opposition function, Medsger severity scale, and Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score. All repairs and explorations were performed under FAHS with 2 subjects who needed conversion to general anesthesia owing to intraoperative visual analog scale score of greater than 4. Average surgery duration under FAHS was 225 (170-309) minutes. Through an average follow-up of 4.1 years, all patients showed normal Medsger scale, with 7 cases that had excellent total active range of motion and 8 cases, excellent opposition. Median Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 15 (9-28.5). CONCLUSIONS: Full-awake hand surgery is potential surgical approach for major flexor tendon trauma cases resulting in satisfactory long term functional outcome.

One-per-mil tumescent technique for upper extremity surgeries: broadening the indication.

PURPOSE: We studied the effect of 1:1,000,000 epinephrine concentration (1 per mil) to attain a bloodless operative field in hand and upper extremity surgery and to explore its effectiveness and safety profile. METHODS: This retrospective observational study enrolled 45 consecutive patients with 63 operative fields consisting of various hand and upper extremity problems. One-per-mil solution was injected into the operative field with tumescent technique to create a bloodless operating field without tourniquet. The solution was formulated by adding a 1:1,000,000 concentration of epinephrine and 100 mg of lidocaine into saline solution to form 50 mL of tumescent solution. Observation was performed on the clarity of the operative field, which we described as totally bloodless, minimal bleeding, acceptable bleeding, or bloody. The volume of tumescent solution injected, duration of surgery, and surgical outcome were also reviewed. RESULTS: The tumescent technique with 1-per-mil solution achieved 29% totally bloodless, 48% minimal bleeding, 22% acceptable bleeding, and 2% bloody operative fields in cases that included burn contracture and congenital hand and upper extremity surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: One-per-mil tumescent solution created a clear operative field in hand and upper extremity surgery. It proved safe and effective for a wide range of indications. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Efficacy of intralesional steroid injection in head and neck hemangioma: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this article was to discuss about the use of corticosteroids in head and neck hemangioma as one of the safest noninvasive therapy, focusing on intralesional steroid injection, including perilesional and infusion, for curing or reducing tumor size. METHODS: A systematic review was done by means of all English publication in PubMed during the period of 1996 to 2008 using the keywords "hemangioma" and "intralesional steroid injection." The studies involved were retrospective and prospective case reviews on using intralesional steroid injection with or without other treatment modalities. Exclusion criteria included letter to the editor, comment, and discussion. Evaluation was done covering the indication, age and sex of the patients, location of the lesion, reduction in volume and resolution after intralesional steroid injection, including perilesional and infusion, the improvement of symptoms and signs, local and systemic complications, dose, and the number of injections required to achieve the desired clinical and aesthetic results. RESULTS: Using the 7th ed. EndNote program, 81 abstracts were successfully retrieved. Finally, this study limited our analysis to 22 studies. A total of 749 patients received intralesional steroid injections, including perilesional and infusion, with or without other treatment modalities. Age of the participants ranged from 10 days to 4 years (mean, 4.17 months). Six references evaluated the percentage of reduction in volume and size after intralesional steroid injection; 71% revealed excellent clinical response, 23.4% good, 2.96% poor, 2% no response, and 0.6% were lost to follow-up. From the remaining, 82% of the participants revealed improvement in sign and symptoms. Three articles mentioned aesthetic evaluation, and all stated excellent to good outcome. DISCUSSION: Intralesional steroid injection is a good option for treating head and neck hemangioma at proliferative phase with relatively low complications.

Perspectives and Consensus among International Orthopaedic Surgeons during Initial and Mid-lockdown Phases of Coronavirus Disease.

With a lot of uncertainty, unclear, and frequently changing management protocols, COVID-19 has significantly impacted the orthopaedic surgical practice during this pandemic crisis. Surgeons around the world needed closed introspection, contemplation, and prospective consensual recommendations for safe surgical practice and prevention of viral contamination. One hundred orthopaedic surgeons from 50 countries were sent a Google online form with a questionnaire explicating protocols for admission, surgeries, discharge, follow-up, relevant information affecting their surgical practices, difficulties faced, and many more important issues that happened during and after the lockdown. Ten surgeons critically construed and interpreted the data to form rationale guidelines and recommendations. Of the total, hand and microsurgery surgeons (52%), trauma surgeons (32%), joint replacement surgeons (20%), and arthroscopy surgeons (14%) actively participated in the survey. Surgeons from national public health care/government college hospitals (44%) and private/semiprivate practitioners (54%) were involved in the study. Countries had lockdown started as early as January 3, 2020 with the implementation of partial or complete lifting of lockdown in few countries while writing this article. Surgeons (58%) did not stop their surgical practice or clinics but preferred only emergency cases during the lockdown. Most of the surgeons (49%) had three-fourths reduction in their total patients turn-up and the remaining cases were managed by conservative (54%) methods. There was a 50 to 75% reduction in the number of surgeries. Surgeons did perform emergency procedures without COVID-19 tests but preferred reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR; 77%) and computed tomography (CT) scan chest (12%) tests for all elective surgical cases. Open fracture and emergency procedures (60%) and distal radius (55%) fractures were the most commonly performed surgeries. Surgeons preferred full personal protection equipment kits (69%) with a respirator (N95/FFP3), but in the case of unavailability, they used surgical masks and normal gowns. Regional/local anesthesia (70%) remained their choice for surgery to prevent the aerosolized risk of contaminations. Essential surgical follow-up with limited persons and visits was encouraged by 70% of the surgeons, whereas teleconsultation and telerehabilitation by 30% of the surgeons. Despite the protective equipment, one-third of the surgeons were afraid of getting infected and 56% feared of infecting their near and dear ones. Orthopaedic surgeons in private practice did face 50 to 75% financial loss and have to furlough 25% staff and 50% paramedical persons. Orthopaedics meetings were cancelled, and virtual meetings have become the preferred mode of sharing the knowledge and experiences avoiding human contacts. Staying at home, reading, and writing manuscripts became more interesting and an interesting lifestyle change is seen among the surgeons. Unanimously and without any doubt all accepted the fact that COVID-19 pandemic has reached an unprecedented level where personal hygiene, hand washing, social distancing, and safe surgical practices are the viable antidotes, and they have all slowly integrated these practices into their lives. Strict adherence to local authority recommendations and guidelines, uniform and standardized norms for admission, inpatient, and discharge, mandatory RT-PCR tests before surgery and in selective cases with CT scan chest, optimizing and regularizing the surgeries, avoiding and delaying nonemergency surgeries and follow-up protocols, use of teleconsultations cautiously, and working in close association with the World Health Organization and national health care systems will provide a conducive and safe working environment for orthopaedic surgeons and their fraternity and also will prevent the resurgence of COVID-19.

Full-thickness skin grafting in pseudosyndactily with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

Two 17- and 11-year-old brothers appeared with mitten pseudosyndactily of both hands. They have been suffering from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa with recurrent cutaneous blister formation either spontaneously or due to minor trauma. Surgeries were performed to release and widen the first web space. Full thickness skin graft which was used to cover the resulting raw surface appears stable as normal skin to them. The two brothers have improvement in range of motion of their thumbs and index fingers.

The Onset and Duration of Action of 0.2% Lidocaine in a One-per-Mil Tumescent Solution for Hand Surgery.

BACKGROUND: One-per-mil tumescent solution, which contains 0.2% lidocaine with 1:1,000,000 epinephrine, has been reported to be clinically effective for hand surgery under local anesthesia. However, it was lacking in its basic pharmacokinetics profile in regard to the onset of action (OOA) and duration of action (DOA). METHODS: A randomized, double-blind study was conducted on 12 volunteers who met the inclusion criteria from October to November 2014. All volunteers had their right and left ring finger pulps injected with either one-per-mil solution or 2% lidocaine. Semmes-Weinstein and two-point discrimination tests were used to test sensation. Visual analogue scale was recorded at the time when the finger lost its sensation and when it regained normal sensation to measure the OOA and DOA. The data were then analyzed with a paired t-test and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: The OOA and DOA of 2% plain lidocaine were 1 minute and 99.67 minutes, respectively. Meanwhile, 0.2% lidocaine in a one-per-mil tumescent solution showed an OOA of 5 minutes and a DOA of 186.83 minutes. The OOA of 0.2% lidocaine in a one-per-mil tumescent solution is statistically shorter than 2% plain lidocaine (P=0.04); while its DOA is statistically longer than 2% plain lidocaine (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The 0.2% lidocaine in a one-per-mil tumescent solution is statistically and clinically superior to 2% plain lidocaine in achieving longer duration of local anesthesia.

Hereditary gingivo-alveolar hyperplasia: a report of two siblings.

Gingival hyperplasia is characterized by fibrotic gingival overgrowth. The lesion may bury all the crown of the teeth and lead to impairment in masticatory functions and aesthetic disfigurement. This inherited disease is considered rare. We presented two cases of gingival hyperplasia in two siblings: an 11-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, whose mother had also suffered from the disease. The two siblings presented with generalized gingival overgrowth involving the maxillary and mandibular arches and covering almost all of the teeth. We performed surgery to reduce the excessive gingivo-alveolar tissue and disclosed most of the teeth. The patients showed functional and aesthetic improvement. The last follow-up through a phone call, which was conducted 12 months after the surgery, revealed no recurrent hyperplasia.

One-Per-Mil Tumescent Infiltration Technique for Vascular Malformation Surgery in Hand and Upper Extremity.

BACKGROUND: To present the efficacy of 1:1,000,000 tumescent solution for resection of vascular malformation in hand and upper extremity without tourniquet application. METHODS: Four patients with five slow flow vascular malformations were retrospectively reviewed. Prior to incision, 1:1,000,000 tumescent solution was infiltrated subcutaneously surrounding the lesion until the skin turned pale. Amount of tumescent solution injected, the length of surgery, the clarity of the operative field, and the complications were recorded. Clarity of operative field was categorized as totally bloodless, minimum bleeding, acceptable bleeding, and bloody. In the surgeries under local anesthesia, we also recorded self-reported intra-operative pain using VAS score, onset of pain, and conversion of anesthesia. RESULTS: The injected amount of the tumescent solution ranged from 4.5 to 200 mL, with the length of surgery ranged from 60 to 150 minutes. One out of 5 cases was totally bloodless, 3 cases were minimum bleeding and 1 case was acceptable bleeding. Minor skin necrosis was recorded in 1 patient. Neither intra-operative pain nor conversion from local to general anesthesia was reported. CONCLUSIONS: 1:1,000,000 tumescent solution is effective for resection of slow flow vascular malformation in hand and upper extremity without tourniquet application.

A review on the safety of one-stage circumferential ring constriction release.

The study was undertaken to investigate the use of one-stage circumferential ring-constriction release with Z-plasties regarding the safety, aesthetic appearance, and limb function. A thorough review was conducted on all English publications in PubMed during the period of 2001 through 2011. Titles and abstracts were identified using online search engine from National Library of Medicine's PubMed database under the keywords "limb constriction ring," "limb constriction band," "amniotic band," "annular constriction," and "circumferential constriction." We used Boolean operator and field of title. Evaluation was done to search indications, timing of the first surgical intervention, time interval between surgeries, patients' gender, anatomic location of the ring, wound healing problems, and scar quality. Fourteen publications met the criteria. There were 17 patients with 25 ring constrictions in total. Sixteen ring constrictions (64%) were circumferential; nine (36%) were semi-circumferential. Mean age of 14 patients treated with one-stage release was 4.8 years. Six articles mentioned about normal development of postoperative limb function. Mean age of three patients treated with staged release was 10.5 months. Two articles mentioned regained distal muscle function postoperatively. It is confirmed that surgeons may continue the practice to release circumferential CRS in one stage.

Linear Hand Burn Contracture Release under Local Anesthesia without Tourniquet.

The objective of this report is to present a case of hand burn linear contracture release performed under local anesthesia. It also introduces the one-per-mil tumescent solution consisted of 0.2% lidocaine and 1:1.000.000 epinephrine as a local anesthesia formula, which has the potential of providing adequate anesthesia as well as hemostatic effect during surgery of the hand without tourniquet. The surgery was performed on a 19 year-old male patient with multiple thumb and fingers flexion linear contracture for 105 minutes without any obstacle. The patient did not complain any pain and discomfort during the procedure; while bloodless operative field was successfully achieved. At four-month follow up, the patient could fully extend his thumb, middle and ring finger, while the index was limited by 10° at the DIP joint. Overall, the patient was satisfied with the outcome.

One-per-mil tumescent technique for bone and joint surgery in hand.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the effectiveness of one-per-mil tumescent technique in hand surgery, which involves bone and joint. METHODS: This is a case series study on 14 patients with 15 operative fields. One-per-mil solution is formulated by mixing 0.05 mL of 1:1,000 epinephrine and 100 mg lidocaine in 50-mL saline solution. The solution was injected subcutaneously into the operative area until the skin turned pale. The surgery started 7-10 min after the last injection. We classified the operative field clarity into four categories: totally bloodless, minimum bleeding, acceptable bleeding, and bloody operative field. We also recorded the amount of tumescent solution, top-ups needed, length of surgery, type of anesthesia, and intraoperative pain reported by the patients under local anesthesia. RESULTS: Five patients were operated on under local anesthesia while the other ten were under general anesthesia. Eight cases yielded totally bloodless operative fields, while seven were classified as acceptable bleeding. There were no top-ups and conversion of anesthesia needed during surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We consider one-per-mil tumescent technique as a promising successor of pneumatic tourniquet in bone and joint surgery, especially for lengthy procedures on hand and upper extremity.

EASEPort NPWT System to Enhance Skin Graft Survival--A Simple Assembly.

Skin graft has been known to be prone to failure. This study was aimed to make a simplification of the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), which follows EASEPort (effective, affordable, safe, easily handled, and portable) concept to support the take of skin graft. The design of the EASEPort-NPWT was then made and technically verified. Thereafter, an animal experimental study comparing the EASEPort-NPWT to the classic tie-over technique on skin graft over exudative wound was conducted. The EASEPort-NPWT was verified to be able to yield and sustain the subatmospheric pressure needed. In the animal study, the treatment group showed better skin graft survival rate (97.55 ± 11.18% take) than the control group (54.88 ± 19.73%) on day-7. Histopathology examination showed good quality of the skin structures taken from the treatment group, which was better than the structures of the skin in the control group. In summary, this study has been able to fulfill its objective to create a device following EASEPort concept. Subsequently, the EASEPort-NPWT was able to enhance skin graft survival rate in exudative wound.

The use of split-thickness versus full-thickness skin graft to resurface volar aspect of pediatric burned hands: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to discuss the comparison of split-thickness skin graft (STSG) and full-thickness skin graft (FTSG) use as the treatment for volar digital and palmar burns in children. METHODS: We conducted PubMed and Cochrane Library searches using keywords "hand injuries", "contracture" and "skin transplantation". The search was limited to studies published from 1st January 1980 until 31st December 2013 and used English language. We selected the studies based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. We assessed the quality of the studies by using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cohort studies. RESULTS: We included eight articles in our systematic review. One of those studies is a prospective cohort study and the others are retrospective cohort studies. Based on combined range of motion (ROM) evaluation in three studies, STSG group yielded poorer functional outcomes than FTSG group. However, there is no study which can fairly show that FTSG was significantly superior to STSG to achieve good functional outcomes. CONCLUSION: Currently, there is no strong, high-quality evidence to prove that FTSG is superior to STSG to cover pediatric palmar burns. Either FTSG or STSG can be utilized with consideration of several influential factors especially splinting and physiotherapy.

Implantation of nerve stump inside a vein and a muscle: comparing neuroma formation in rat.

Among many techniques independently reported to manage neuroma formation, manipulation of the nerve stump inside muscle and vein is the most advantageous technique. This study aimed to enrich the basic data of macroscopic appearance and histo-pathology regarding which technique generates less neuroma: nerve stump implantation inside vein or inside muscle. An experimental study with posttest-only control-group design was conducted in 24 rats that were randomly arranged into 3 groups. One centimeter of the lateral branch of the right ischiadic nerve was cut. Group A served as the control group, where the proximal nerve stumps were left as they were after the excision; whereas the stumps of groups B and C were implanted inside muscles and veins, respectively. The samples were assessed with histologic examination after 4 weeks to measure the morphometric changes in the nerve endings. The data were statistically analyzed with t test. All rats healed uneventfully. No thrombosis was found within group C, and the stumps were free of neuroma formation. The muscle group formed smaller neuroma than the control group. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between the groups (P < 0.05). The outcome of nerve stump implantation inside the lumen of a vein is superior to the implantation inside a muscle in preventing neuroma formation.

Tourniquet-Free Hand Surgery Using the One-per-Mil Tumescent Technique.

BACKGROUND: A pneumatic tourniquet is generally used to achieve a bloodless operation field in hand surgery. However, this has changed with tumescent solution-based wide-awake surgery. This study is a preliminary prospective case series study to elaborate the formula and indications of the tumescent technique in hand surgery without a tourniquet. METHODS: Seven patients (age range, 4 months to 37 years) underwent hand or upper extremity surgery for conditions such as nerve palsy, electric burn defect, fingertip injury, contracture, constriction ring syndrome, or acrosyndactyly. A "one-per-mil" tumescent solution (epinephrine 1:1,000,000+20 mg lidocaine/50 mL saline) was used to create a bloodless operating field without a tourniquet. Observation was performed to document the amount of solution injected, the operation field clarity, and the postoperative pain. RESULTS: The "one per mil" epinephrine solution showed an effective hemostatic effect. The tumescent technique resulted in an almost bloodless operation field in the tendon and in the constriction ring syndrome surgeries, minimal bleeding in the flap and contracture release surgeries, and acceptable bleeding in acrosyndactyly surgery. The amount of solution injected ranged from 5.3 to 60 mL. No patient expressed significant postoperative pain. Flap surgeries showed mixed results. One flap was lost, while the others survived. CONCLUSIONS: Epinephrine 1:1,000,000 in saline solution is a potential replacement for a tourniquet in hand surgery. Further studies are needed to delineate its safety for flap survival.

The Relationship between Oxygen Saturation and Color Alteration of a Compromised Skin Flap: Experimental Study on the Rabbit.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to collect important data on the time of oxygen saturation change in relation to skin flap color alteration using non-invasive pulse oximetry to evaluate its ability to provide continuous monitoring of skin flap perfusion. METHODS: An experimental study on the monitoring of blood perfusion of 20 tube-island groin flaps of 10 male New Zealand rabbits was performed using pulse oximetry. The animals were randomly assigned to one of two groups representing a blockage of either arterial or venous blood flow. The oxygen saturation change and clinical color alteration were monitored from the beginning of vessel clamping until the saturation became undetectable. The result was analyzed by the t-test using SSPS ver. 10.0. RESULTS: The mean times from the vessel clamping until the saturation became undetectable were 20.19±2.13 seconds and 74.91±10.57 seconds for the artery and vein clamping groups, respectively. The mean time of the clinical alteration from the beginning of vein clamping was 34.5±11.72 minutes, while the alteration in flaps with artery clamping could not be detected until 2.5 hours after clamping. CONCLUSIONS: The use of neonate-type reusable flex sensor-pulse oximetry is objective and effective in early detection of arterial and vein blockage. It provides real-time data on vessel occlusion, which in turn will allow for early salvaging. The detection periods of both arterial occlusion and venous congestion are much earlier than the color alteration one may encounter clinically.