Review: ischaemia–reperfusion injury in flap surgery

SummaryIschaemia–reperfusion injury is the mechanism underlying (partial) flap loss. This is not only a traumatic event for the patient, it also causes increased patient morbidity [Kerrigan CL, Stotland MA. Ischemia reperfusion injury: a review. Microsurgery 1993;14:165–75] as well as prolonged hospitalisation, increasing medical consumption and costs.For surgeons who perform flap surgery, it is important to have knowledge of ischaemia–reperfusion injury in order to prevent it. In this article, an update on the recent research on ischaemia–reperfusion is given. The production of reactive oxygen species, neutrophil influx, depletion of NO and apoptosis are discussed as well.