Objective To investigate the anatomic variations of the perforator vessels of anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap and the clinical indications. Methods From March 1985 to August 2004, the anterolateral thigh flapgraft was performed in 112 patients. The clinical data were analyzed. There were 67 males and 45 females, aging from 5 to 65 years with an average of 38.5 years. According to recipient site condition, four methods of flap harvesting were as follows:① 78 received free fasciocutaneous flaps;② 22 received free adipofascial flaps;③ 5 received pedicled island fasciocutaneous flaps; ④ 7 received pedicled reverse-flow island fasciocutaneous flaps. Facial, neck, breast, extremityjoint, plantar, and perineum defects were repaired and the effectiveness and donor site morbidity were evaluated. Results The blood supply of ALT flap came from the descending branch or transverse branch of the lateral circumflex femoralartery. The skin vessels were found to be septocutaneous perforators in 33% of flaps and to be musculocutaneous perforators in 77% of flaps. Of 112 flaps, 107 survived completely, the survival rate was 95.6% with little donor site morbidity. Conclusion ALT flap is a versatile softtissue flap. If refined to perforator flap, it can achieve better results in reconstructing defect and minimizing donor-site morbidity.
Objective To investigate a best method of obtaining the sural neurofasciocutaneous flap by observing the models of different pedicles based sural neurofasciocutaneous flaps in rabbits and the effect of different pedicles on the survival of the flaps. Methods Forty adult New Zealand rabbits (male or female, weighing 2.5-3.0 kg) were randomly divided into 4 groups (10 rabbits in each). The flaps of 7 cm × 1 cm were designed at the lateral hind legs, and the pedicle was 0.5 cmin length. In group A, the flaps were elevated based on a single perforator pedicle; in group B, the flaps were elevated based on fascia pedicle; in group C, the flaps were elevated based on perforator-plus fascia pedicle; and in group D, the flaps were elevated and sutured in situ. At 7 days after operation, the flap survival rate was recorded, and the blood flow in the center of the flap was monitored by laser doppler flowmetry. The perfusion unit (PU) was measured. Results After operation, the flaps had no obvious swell ing, and the flaps had good color at the proximal end, but pale at the distal end in groups A and B. Obvious swell ing was observed with pale color at the distal flaps in group C, but swell ing decreased gradually. However, the skin color became dark gradually in group D after operation. The flap survival rates were 74.0% ± 2.7%, 60.0% ± 2.5%, 75.0% ± 3.5%, and 0 in groups A, B, C, and D respectively after 7 days of operation. The PU values were 83.39 ± 4.25, 28.96 ± 13.49, 81.85 ± 5.93, and 8.10 ± 3.36 in groups A, B, C, and D respectively. There were significant differences in flap survival rates and PU values between groups A, B, C and group D (P lt; 0.05). Significant differences were found between groups A, C and group B (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference between group A and group C (P gt; 0.05). Conclusion The sural neurofasciocutaneous flap based on a single perforator pedicle has a rel iable blood supply and enough venous drainage, which is one of the best methods to obtain the sural neurofasciocutaneous flap.
Objective To explore the effect of the intensive CT on the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap design strategy. Methods From June 2007 to March 2008, 7 patients received reconstructive operation of the vertical DIEP flap, among whom there were 5 females with congenital absence of vagina and 2 males with peno-scrotal Paget’s disease,aged 18-62 years old. Before the operation, the intensive CT scans were appl ied to all the petients in search for DIEP. The flaps were designed according to the radiological findings. The scrotum and penis defects were reconstructed in 2 cases and vaginal reconstruction was performed in 5 cases. The flap dimension ranged from 15 cm × 7 cm to 22 cm × 5 cm. The donor site was closed directly. Results A total of 10 ideal perforating branches of all the 7 DIEP flaps were found before the operation, with the diameter of over 1.5 mm. Of the 7 flaps, 4 had 1 perforating branch and the other 3 had 2 perforating branches. All 7 flaps survived completely. The incisions of 6 patients obtained heal ing by first intention. Only 1 patient with Paget’s disease had erosion at the scrotum incision and partial necrosis 7 days after the operation, and then healed after discontinuous dressing change. The incisions at the donor site obtained heal ing by first intension. Two patients complained about draw-off at the lower abdomen on the operated side, which was basically rel ieved at 7 days after the operation. All patients were followed up for 1 to 10 months (4.5 months on average). No operation-related compl ication was observed after operation. Six patients were satisfied with the reconstructive results. Only 1 patient was dissatisfied with the buried pennies and requested a revision. Conclusion The intensive CT scans play an important role in the DIEP flap design. It can not only make the flap safer, but also decrease operation time and improve efficiency.
Objective To evaluate 5 different kinds of perforator flaps for repairing soft-tissue defects and reconstructing the breast and tongue after the breast or the tongue resection.Methods From June 2005 to June 2006, 31 free or pedicled perforator flaps were used to repair the softtissue defects or reconstruct the organs in our hospital. The free anterolateral thigh flaps (ALT) were used in 16 cases to repair the soft-tissue defects in the head and neck after resection of malignant tumors, including malignant melanoma in 9, squamous carcinoma in 4, basaloma in 2 and malignant fibrous histocytoma in 1.Among them, 3 ALT flaps were used for reconstruction of the tongue after resection of the tongue (3/4); the maximum area of the flap was 26 cm×15 cm. The deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps (DIEP) were used in 10 cases, and the free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps (FTRAM) were used in 2 cases to reconstruct the breast.Secondary reconstruction was performed in9 cases, immediate reconstruction with the skin-sparing mastectomy at the sametime was performed in 3 cases. The bilateral breast reconstruction was performed in 3 cases and the unilateral breast reconstruction was performed in 9 cases. The breast reconstruction was performed in 1 case using the superior gluteal artery perforator flap (SGAP) and the inferior gluteal artery perforator flap (IGAP), respectively. One case had an uncovered bone (6 cm × 4 cm) in the middle andlower parts of the right cnemis, which was repaired by the pedicled local posterior tibial artery perforator flap (PTA,15 cm × 5 cm). The donor sites were sutured directly in 27 cases, the ALT flap in 3 and PTA flap in 1 were covered by the epidermal skin graft. Results The follow-up for 3-6 months revealed that in the 31 cases (33 free flaps, 1 pedicled flap), only 1 had a total necrosis of the transferred ALT flap for the neck defect repair after resection of the neck tumor, which was caused by the venous insufficiency. There was nopartial necrosis in the remaining ALT flaps. There was a partial fat liquefaction in the DIEP flap, and a pain of abdomen in the FTRAM flap. The distal partial necrosis occurred in the pedicled PTA flap (2 cm×1 cm) in 1 case, as a result of the venous insufficiency, which was managed successfully using daily dressings. One SGAP and one IGAP survived. ConclusionAlthough the perforator dissection is difficult and the vascular anatomy is complicated, application of the perforator flaps to repair of the softtissue defects and reconstruction of the organs is still an important step forward becaue of the minimal donor site “cost” and the maximal efficacy.
ObjectiveTo explore the clinical application of the flap supported by perforating branch of the radial artery superior wrist catena-form blood vessel in repairing hand and wrist wound. MethodsBetween March 2010 and March 2013, 24 cases of severe wounds in wrist were repaired with the flap supported by perforating branch of forearm radial artery and catena-form blood vessel. There were 15 males and 9 females, aged 19-54 years (mean, 37 years). In 22 patients with trauma, there were 9 cases of machine injury, 5 cases of traffic accident injury, 5 cases of crash injury of heavy objects, 1 case of sharp instrument injury, and 2 cases of electrical injury, with a mean disease duration of 11 days (range, 2-20 days). In 2 patients with tumor excision wound, there were 1 case of right forearm liposarcoma and 1 case of left forearm squamous-cell carcinoma, with the disease duration of 7 days and 3 months, respectively. All cases complicated by bone and tendon exposure. The size of defect was 4.5 cm×4.0 cm to 10.0 cm×7.5 cm, and the size of the flap was 6.0 cm×4.0 cm to 20.0 cm×8.5 cm. The donor site was directly sutured or repaired by skin graft. ResultsPartial flap necrosis occurred in 1 case, and was cured after dressing change; the other flaps survived, and primary healing of incision was obtained. The patients were followed up 6-36 months (mean, 20 months). The flap featured good color and texture, and also recovered protective sensation at 6 months after operation, with a mean two-point discrimination of 12 mm (range, 11-14 mm). No ulcers of the flap was observed. At last follow-up, according to Hand Surgery Society of Chinese Medical Association for functional evaluation of upper limb, the function was rated as excellent in 19 cases, good in 4 cases, and fair in 1 case. ConclusionThe flap supported by perforating branch of forearm radial artery and catena-form blood vessel can be used to repair wound in wrist, which has no injury to the radial artery, and it also could be used for the patients with ulnar and radial artery injuries. Thus it is an ideal method to repair wound in the wrist because the operation is simple, and the flap has good appearance and texture.
ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility and technical essentials of soft tissue defect reconstruction following malignant tumor removal of limbs using perforator propeller flaps. MethodBetween July 2008 and July 2015, 19 patients with malignant limb tumor underwent defect reconstruction following tumor removal using the perforator propeller flaps. There were 13 males and 6 females with an average age of 53.4 years (range, 20-82 years). The disease duration ranged from 1 to 420 months (mean, 82 months). The tumors located at the thigh in 10 cases, at the leg in 2 cases, at the arm in 1 case, at the forearm in 1 case, around the knee in 2 cases, and around the elbow joint in 3 cases. Totally 23 flaps (from 8 cm×3 cm to 30 cm×13 cm in size) were used to reconstruct defects (from 4 cm×4 cm to 24 cm×16 cm in size). The potential source arteries included the femoral artery (n=2) , profunda femoral artery (n=3) , superficial circumflex iliac artery (n=1) , lateral circumflex femoral artery (n=6) , superior lateral genicular artery (n=2) , peroneal artery (n=2) , anterior tibial artery (n=1) , brachial artery (n=4) , and radial artery (n=1) . The remaining one was a free style perforator flap. ResultsPartial distal flap necrosis occurred in 3 cases after surgery with rotation angles of 180, 150, and 100° respectively, which were reconstructed after debridement using a free-style perforator flap in 1 case and using free skin grafting in the other 2 cases. The other 20 flaps survived completely after surgery. Primary healing of incisions was obtained at the donor and recipient sites. There was no severe complication such as infection, hematoma, and total flap failure. All patients were followed up 3 months to 5 years (mean, 19 months). One patient with malignant melanoma around the elbow joint had tumor recurrence, and underwent secondary tumor resection. The appearance, texture, and color of the flaps were similar to those at the recipient site. ConclusionsFor patients with malignant tumor of the limb, the perforator propeller flap can be an alternative option for soft tissue defect reconstruction after tumor resection, with the advantages of relatively simple operation and remaining the main vessels.
ObjectiveTo study the digital anatomy and application value of the thoracic dorsal artery based on CT angiography (CTA). MethodsBetween September 2012 and June 2014, aorta CTA images were chosen from 10 cases (20 sides) undergoing aorta CTA. By using Mimics 17.0 software for three dimensional (3D) reconstruction of image post-processing, the digital vascular anatomical information were obtained after observing and measuring the origin of the thoracic dorsal artery, the number of perforators, type, inner diameter, and pedicle length; and the body surface location of perforator vessel was determined, and then the thoracic dorsal artery perforators tissue flap harvesting was simulated. Results3D reconstruction images showed that the thoracic dorsal artery originated from subscapular artery, 76 perforator vessels were found, including 32 perforators (42.1%) from the medial branch of the thoracic dorsal artery and 44 perforators (57.9%) from the lateral branch of the thoracic dorsal artery, of which 69 were intramuscular perforators (90.8%) and 7 were direct skin artery (9.2%). The inner diameter of the thoracic dorsal artery was (1.69±0.23) mm, and its pedicle length was (2.12±0.64) cm. The first lateral perforator of the thoracic dorsal artery located at (1.65±0.42) cm above the horizontal line of the inferior angle of scapula and at (1.68±0.31) cm lateral to vertical line of the inferior angle of scapula. The first medial perforator located at (1.43 ±0.28) cm above the horizontal line of the inferior angle of scapula and at (1.41±0.28) cm lateral to vertical line of the inferior angle of scapula. The thoracic dorsal artery perforators flap harvesting was successfully simulated. ConclusionCTA is a more intuitive method to study the thoracic dorsal artery in vivo, it can clearly display 3D information of the main blood supply artery course and distribution after flap reconstruction, so it can effectively and accurately guide the design of the flap.
ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness of pedicled thoracoacromial artery perforator (TAAP) flap for pharyngocutaneous fistula repair after total laryngectomy and radiotherapy. MethodsBetween February 2012 and January 2015, TAAP flap was used to repair pharyngocutaneous fistula after total laryngectomy and radiotherapy in 8 patients. The eight patients were male, aged from 46 to 72 years (mean, 51.8 years). The disease duration was 8-62 months (mean, 27.5 months). Fistula size ranged from 4.0 cm×2.5 cm to 6.0 cm×4.0 cm and the skin defect size ranged from 4.0 cm×3.0 cm to 6.0 cm×4.0 cm. The flap size ranged from 7.0 cm×4.0 cm×0.3 cm to 9.5 cm×6.0 cm×0.5 cm. The length of pedicle was (8.3±0.5)mm. The distance from pivot point of flap to central point of recipient site was (94.5±1.9) mm. ResultsAll 8 flaps survived and all incisions healed smoothly. The hospitalization time was 7-14 days (mean, 9.6 days). The barium meal examination showed no fistula or stenosis. The patients were followed up 8-42 months (mean, 28.5 months). During follow-up, the neck appearance was good, and no fistulas or stenosis occurred. Only linear scars were observed at the donor sites, pectoralis major muscle function was normal in all patients. ConclusionPharyngocutaneous fistula should be repaired as early as possible after total laryngectomy. TAAP flap is suitable for the reconstruction of pharyngocutaneous fistula after total laryngectomy.
Objective To investigate the operative technique and the effectiveness of perforator flaps for the treatment of elderly patients with ischia-sacral ulcers. Methods Between January 2005 and June 2010, 29 elderly patients with ischia-sacral ulcers were treated. There were 16 males and 13 females, aged from 61 to 75 years (mean, 68 years), including 11 cases of degree III and 18 cases of degree IV according to the standard of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel(NPUAP). The disease duration was from 5 months to 10 years (median, 5.5 years). The size of ulcers ranged from 7 cm × 6 cm to 12 cm × 10 cm. Of them, 8 cases were companied by cerebral vascular disorders, 6 cases by Alzheimer disease, 11 cases by paraplegia, and 4 cases by others. The flap size ranged from 8 cm × 6 cm to 14 cm × 12 cm. The donor sites were sutured directly. Results Distal flap necrosis occurred in 3 cases (10.3%) 2 days after operation and healed after symptomatic treatment, and the remaining flaps survived and wound healed by first intention with first intention rate of 89.7%. The incisions of donor sites healed primarily. Two cases (6.9%) had infection 1 week after operation and 1 case (3.4%) had wound dehiscence 10 days after operation. Twenty-seven patients were followed up 6 months to 5 years (mean, 3 years). Two cases recurred at 1 and 3 years after operation, respectively. One died of infection, and the other healed by debridement and suture. The flaps of other patients had good texture, color, and elasticity. Conclusion As long as the indications are controlled strictly, good effectiveness can be achieved in the treatment of elderly patients with ischia-sacral ulcers by using perforator flaps.
Objective To investigate the accuracy of color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) and CT angiography (CTA) in the preoperative evaluation of perforator vessels in free posterior interosseous artery perforator (PIAP) flaps. Methods Between January 2020 and December 2023, 19 patients with hand skin and soft tissue defects caused by trauma were admitted. There were 11 males and 8 females, with a median age of 45 years (range, 26-54 years). The interval between injury and admission was 5-11 days (mean, 7.2 days). The skin and soft tissue defects were located on the dorsum of the hand in 8 cases and on the fingers in 11 cases. The size of defect ranged from 4.0 cm×2.5 cm to 7.5 cm×3.5 cm. After locating the perforator vessels through CDU and CTA before operation, the free PIAP flaps were designed to repair hand defects, with the size of 4.5 cm×3.0 cm-7.5 cm×4.0 cm. The defects of donor sites were directly sutured. The number and diameter of perforator vessels in the posterior interosseous artery detected by CDU and CTA were compared. The differences in localization of perforator vessels using CDU and CTA and their clinical effects were also compared to calculate the accuracy and recognition rate. During follow-up, the survival of the skin flap was observed, and the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score was used to evaluate the healing of the donor site, while the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate the patient’s satisfaction with the appearance of the skin flap. Results The number and the diameter of PIAP vessels was 5.8±1.2 and (0.62±0.08) mm assessed by CDU and 5.2±1.0 and (0.60±0.07) mm by CTA, showing no significant difference between the two methods (P>0.05). The number, course, and distribution of perforator vessels of the PIAP vessels observed during operation were basically consistent with those detected by preoperative CDU and CTA. Compared with intraoperative observation results, the recognition rates of dominant perforating vessels by CDU and CTA were 95.0% (18/19) and 89.5% (17/19), respectively, and the accuracy rates were 100% (19/19) and 84.2% (16/19), with no significant difference between the two methods (P>0.05). All flaps survived after operation, and all wounds and incisions at donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6-13 months (mean, 8.2 months). At last follow-up, the skin flaps had elasticity and soft texture, with the patient satisfaction VAS score of 9.2±0.8. The donor sites had no obvious scar hyperplasia with the VSS score of 11.7±0.9. Conclusion CDU and CTA accurately identify the dominant perforator vessels and provide reliable information for vessel localization, facilitating precise flap harvesting and minimizing donor site injury. However, CDU offers superior visualization of distal end of perforator vessels in the forearm compared to CTA.