Serial quantitative skin surface fluorescence: a new method for postoperative monitoring of vascular perfusion in revascularized digits.

Postoperative monitoring of vascular perfusion was performed in 72 revascularized/replanted digits in 40 patients. Sodium fluorescein (1.0 to 1.5 mg/kg) was administered intravenously every 2 hours for 36 to 48 hours beginning immediately after surgery. Quantitative fluorescence readings of each injured digit were obtained 10 minutes after fluorescein injection and were compared with readings from an uninjured (control) digit. A ratio between the fluorescence of the injured digit and that of the control digit was used for analysis. Viable digits had a fluorescein perfusion ratio of 86.4 +/- 16. Digits that did not survive had fluorescein perfusion ratios of 5.2 +/- 10 (p less than 0.001). The results of this study indicate that quantitative surface fluorescence assessment of revascularized/replanted digits is a minimally invasive, and reliable tool for monitoring vascular perfusion.