Remote real‐time monitoring of free flaps via smartphone photography and 3G wireless internet: A prospective study evidencing diagnostic accuracy

This prospective study was designed to compare the accuracy rate between remote smartphone photographic assessments and in‐person examinations for free flap monitoring. One hundred and three consecutive free flaps were monitored with in‐person examinations and assessed remotely by three surgeons (Team A) via photographs transmitted over smartphone. Four other surgeons used the traditional in‐person examinations as Team B. The response time to re‐exploration was defined as the interval between when a flap was evaluated as compromised by the nurse/house officer and when the decision was made for re‐exploration. The accuracy rate was 98.7% and 94.2% for in‐person and smartphone photographic assessments, respectively. The response time of 8 ± 3 min in Team A was statistically shorter than the 180 ± 104 min in Team B (P = 0.01 by the Mann–Whitney test). The remote smartphone photography assessment has a comparable accuracy rate and shorter response time compared with in‐person examination for free flap monitoring. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery, 2011.

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