A 30-year-old male patient has just returned from the operating room after having a "flap" done following a motorcycle accident. The patient's wife asks the nurse about the major complications following this type of surgery
What would be the nurse's best response?
A) "The major complication is when the patient develops chronic pain."
B) "The major complication is when the patient loses sensation in the flap."
C) "The major complication is when the pedicle tears loose and the flap dies."
D) "The major complication is when the blood supply fails and the tissue in the flap dies."
Ans: D
Feedback:
The major complication of a flap is necrosis of the pedicle or base as a result of failure of the blood supply. This is more likely than tearing of the pedicle and chronic pain and is more serious than loss of sensation.
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