Abstract
To assess whether arteriosclerosis is a risk factor for microvascular anastomoses in head and neck surgery, the grade of arteriosclerosis was investigated with respect to age, aortic pulse wave velocity, ocular fundus and the histopathological findings of recipient arteries in 40 patients with head and neck malignant tumors. As the arteriosclerosis was found to be mild, i t was not a contraindication of surgery. We are currently studying other possible risk factors in elderly patients.
