Perioperative Applications of Electrical Stimulation in Flap Surgeries: Mechanisms and Benefits.
Meijun Jiang, Shaoyun Zhang, Cong Xiao
PMID 42296256WHAT IT FOUND
Electrical stimulation increased flap survival in animal and cell studies, but the review found no standardized clinical protocol.
Most evidence is preclinical, so it cannot tell clinicians how to use ES in patients.
Key findings
01The reviewed studies reported that ES increased flap survival or reduced necrosis in animal and some patient flap models, but the ES settings varied widely.
02Most included studies were preclinical animal experiments or small-sample in vitro studies, and large randomized controlled clinical trials remain limited.
03Not all forms of electrical stimulation had antimicrobial effects; direct current and high-voltage pulsed galvanic stimulation did, while low-voltage monophasic and biphasic pulsed current did not.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Most included studies were preclinical animal experiments or small-sample in vitro studies, and large randomized controlled clinical trials remain limited. Electrical stimulation parameters varied widely in current type, waveform, frequency, intensity, and duration, so no standard dose or treatment protocol can be taken from the review. The antimicrobial effect depended on the current type and electrodes, so not all forms of electrical stimulation have it. The edema study used a model without inflammation, so its conclusion remains uncertain. The review is a summary of many different studies, not a single test of one ES protocol in patients.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that electrical stimulation is an established treatment to prevent flap necrosis in patients. Most included studies were animal or cell experiments, and large randomized controlled clinical trials remain limited.