ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the technical method for harvesting and application of the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (DBLCFA) in the coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operation.@*Methods@#Between December 2016 and April 2017, 19 patients were arranged to use DBLCFA and got CT angiography (CTA) of pelvic and femoral arteries pre-operative at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Finally, DBLCFA was harvested in 16 patients (including 2 female patients, with a mean age of (47.4±8.5) years) through the anterior thigh incision (13 cases on the left side, 3 cases on the right side). The CABG operations were performed under the cardiopulmonary bypass support (in 10 cases) or under the beating heart condition (in 6 cases), and the DBLCFA conduit was used combining with bilateral internal thoracic artery (in 12 cases), radial artery (in 7 cases) and saphenpous vein (in 3 cases).@*Results@#Due to anatomical variations such as short length and anomalous branch, or due to silent atherosclerosis stenosis of femoral artery, DBLCFA in 3 patients was considered inappropriate for use and was not harvested after CTA examination. In another 16 patients, DBLCFA was safely and quickly harvested and successfully used. On average, 3.4±0.6 anastomosis was built up in CBAG, no adverse effects were exhibited. The length of the harvested DBLCFA was (10.3±1.8) cm, with average lumen diameter of (1.9±0.5) mm. DBLCFA was used as free graft in 15 patients (7 to the first diagonal branch, 6 to the ramus intermedius branch, 1 to the left anterior descending branch and 1 to the second obtuse marginal branch). In 1 patient, the DBLCFA was firstly implanted end-to-side to the internal thoracic artery as a "Y" type composite graft, and then anastomosed to the third obtuse marginal branch.@*Conclusions@#The descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery is an option conduit in CABG. It can be harvested easily and safely. However, pre-operative CTA examination is necessary to exclude the variation and appropriate strategy for graft establishment should be considered during the operation.
ABSTRACT
Objective To describe a technique to achieve primary donor-site closure, extend applications and minimize donor-site morbidity by applying the double skin paddle principle.Methods All 16 cases of the double skin paddle anterolateral thigh perforator flap reconstruction from May, 2008 to June, 2014 were reviewed.Defects locations included calf, dorsum pedis or planta pedis.A long anterolateral thigh perforator flap was marked out using standard points of reference.At least two separate cutaneous perforator vessles were identified on hand-held Doppler.Separating and dissecting flap at superficial layer of fascia lata was adopted in all cases.Then skin paddle was then divided between the two cutaneous perforators to give two separate paddles with a common vascular supply which was the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery.The skin paddles could be used to cover complex skin defects, whilst still allowing for primary donor-site closure.Results Fifteen patients were successfully treated with the double skin paddle anterolateral thigh perforator flap with no major complications.One case was suffered with partial skin flap necrosis.The type A dumbbell-like flaps was used to cover defects involving two different units of the foot.The type B pattern were stacked side by side on a flap inset, effectively doubling the width of the flap, to resurface a large defect of a single unit of the calf.The type C pattern was used to repair adjacent skin defects.In all cases, the donor site was closed directly.All patients were satisfied with their outcomes.Conclusion The double skin paddle anterolateral thigh perforator flap is an excellent method of resurfacing large defects of the extremity involving multiple subunits with improved morbidity and cosmesis of the donor site.