Expanded prefabricated flaps of femoral artery and vein: an experimental study / 中华医学美学美容杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the microcirculation and structural changes, surviving area of expanded prefabricated flaps. Methods A total of 40 New Zealand rabbits were divided randomly into expanded prefabricated, expender lined, simple prefabricated and free flap groups, each consisting of 10 rabbits. For the expanded prefabricated, expender lined and simple prefabricated groups, after the femoral artery and vein were transplanted into subcutaneous tissues of abdomen, and expanders were implanted into the deeper dartos. The free flap group was a blank control group. For the expanded prefabricated group, the expansion was carried out on 7th day postoperatively. On postoperative day 52, when the expander was fully expanded, island flaps with the prefabricated vessels as the pedicles were formed. The flaps were measured by laser Doppler flowmetry, light microscopy and digital re-cording of survival arca. Results When compared with the other groups, the perfusion volume of mi-crocirculation enhanced, flaps survival improved (97.54±2.73) %, blood capillary were stronger, to-gether with microscopic changes were significant in the expanded prefabricated groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Expandedprefabricated flaps can increase the survival size of the flaps and the safety of flap transplantation.