HSI is used to detect perfusion failure of flap grafts much earlier than by clinical assessment

The Mainz working group led by Dr Daniel Thiem achieved very impressive results in their clinical study on the monitoring of free flaps using HSI compared to clinical monitoring.

The studies on 63 patients with free flaps in the head and neck region showed that HSI is able to detect postoperative perfusion disturbances on average about 5 hours earlier than clinical monitoring with the same sensitivity as clinical assessment (100 %). These results are of great importance, as the early detection of perfusion disturbances is a decisive criterion for the success of treatment or the survival of the graft.

Thiem DGE, Römer P, Blatt S, Al-Nawas B, Kämmerer PW. New Approach to the Old Challenge of Free Flap Monitoring-Hyperspectral Imaging Outperforms Clinical Assessment by Earlier Detection of Perfusion Failure. J Pers Med. 2021;11:1101. doi: 10.3390/jpm111101

Dot plot from Thiem et al. 2021 showing the duration (h) from flap insertion to clinical (red) and hyperspectral detection (green) of flap malfunction (Source: Thiem DGE et al. New Approach to the Old Challenge of Free Flap Monitoring-Hyperspectral Imaging Outperforms Clinical Assessment by Earlier Detection of Perfusion Failure. J Pers Med. 2021;11:1101).