Safety and effectiveness of regional anesthesia compared with anesthetic techniques not using regional anesthesia on outcomes after free tissue flap surgery: a systematic review protocol.

Objective: This systematic review will aim to evaluate the evidence on the effectiveness of regional anesthesia, when compared with general anesthesia alone, on the outcomes of free flap surgeries.

Introduction: Free flap procedures involve complete separation of a flap of tissue from its native vascular bed, followed by reimplantation to a recipient site on the body. Optimal perfusion and successful neovascularization are crucial to survival of the grafted flap.