PREFABRICATED FLAP USING FEMORAL VESSELS OF RABBITS.

Kim, Sung Ho; Jeong, Jae Ho; Woo, Sang Hyun; Seul, Jeong Hyun

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 1997;24(3):468-474.
Published online May 1, 1997.

PREFABRICATED FLAP USING FEMORAL VESSELS OF RABBITS.

Sung Ho Kim, Jae Ho Jeong, Sang Hyun Woo, Jeong Hyun Seul

Abstract

An axial-pattern flap can be transferred as the free-flap and has many merits over a random-pattern local flap. However, this has limitations of available vascular architecture and donor site. To overcome these problems, many types of prefabricated flaps have been designed using vascular bundles. It is possible to convert a random-pattern flap to a neovascularized axial-pattern flap by transferring a vascular pedicle. In an attempt to study the effects of prefabrication using vascular bundles, the survival rate between random-pattern flap and prefabricated axial-pattern flap was compared in this study. The rabbits were divided into two groups. The control group was consisted of the random-pattern flap and the prefabricated group was consisted of the prefabricated axial-pattern flap using femoral vascular pericles of rabbits. Femoral vascular pedicles were transferred under the 5x5cm lower abdominal flaps without any perivascular tissue. Three weeks later, random-pattern flaps were elevated without any axial vascular pedicle and prefabricated flaps were elevated based on the transferred femoral vascular pericles. The survival rate of the flaps in the control group and experimental group was 67.37% and 98.87% respectively. Based on the result of t-test there was significant difference between two groups. According to these results, it is concluded that prefabricated flap using transferred vascular pedicle was more effective than random-pattern flap. We think that this technique is versatile for wound repair and for use in other aspects of plastic and reconstructive surgery.