Anemia is not a predictor of free flap failure: a review of NSQIP data.

Background: Thrombosis is a common cause of flap failure in microvascular tissue transfer, which questions the effects of anemia on this outcome. This article seeks to contribute a large, multi-institutional data analysis to this debate.

Methods: Free tissue transfer patients were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement database through a specified Current Procedural Terminology algorithm.