The Use of the Implantable Doppler Probe as a Blood Flow Monitoring Device in Clinical Settings: A Narrative Review of the Evidence

Objectives: In the past decade, the implantable Doppler probe has been studied widely as a blood flow-monitoring device in reconstructive and transplant surgical specialities. Its utility as an effective postoperative monitoring technique is still debatable, with no clear guidelines in clinical practice. Here, we mapped the current evidence on the usefulness of the implantable Doppler probe as a blood flow-monitoring device. The objective was to present an up-to-date assessment of the benefits and limitations of using implantable Doppler probes in clinical and experimental clinical settings. Materials and Methods: We conducted a literature search using the Cochrane Library and Healthcare Databases Advanced Search and using implantable Doppler probe, transplant, graft, and flap as key words. The search yielded 184 studies, with 73 studies included after exclusions. We evaluated, synthesized, and summarized the evidence from the studies in tabular form. Results: There is clinical equipoise regarding the effectiveness of implantable Doppler probe as a flow sensing technique. The main reason is the lack of information and gaps in the evidence regarding the benefits and limitations of using implantable Doppler probes in clinical practice. Conclusions: The implantable Doppler probe has the potential to be used as an adjunct postoperative blood flow-monitoring device. However, keeping in view of technical limitations, its signals should be interpreted alongside traditional clinical assessment techniques to determine the patency of microvascular anastomosis. Although evidence in this review will inform clinical practice in transplant and reconstructive surgical specialties, a prospective randomized controlled study with a larger patient cohort is required to evaluate the effectiveness of this probe in clinical settings.