A novel method for flap delay vacuum assisted flap delay: an experimental study in rabbits.

A novel method for flap delay vacuum assisted flap delay: an experimental study in rabbits. J Plast Surg Hand Surg. 2019 Mar 31;:1-8 Authors: Aydin OE, Algan S, Tan O, Demirci E, Keles ON, Kantarci A Abstract Flaps are the workhorse of plastic surgery practice. The delay procedures have been defined to prevent flap necrosis. The golden standard method of delay is a surgical delay. On the other hand, a major drawback of surgical delay is two sessions of surgery. Efforts have been made to omit one session and increase the patient safety and decrease the costs. The writer's aim was to evaluate the effects of topical negative pressure, applied prior to flap elevation, on flap survival, perfusion and compare the results with the surgical delay. In a rabbit random flap model, prior to elevation, the writers used a topical negative pressure system on the lateral thoracic region of, for induction of delay and compared the results with surgical delay and the control group. The total and necrotic flap areas, necrosis ratio, histomorphometric vascular density, immunohistochemical evaluation of neovascularization (CD31/CD34), Laser Doppler images and computerized tomography contrast uptake were used to compare the groups. In all of the parameters, the vacuum assisted flap delay was equivalent to surgical delay. Both were superior to non-delayed flaps. Control group had 65.56 ± 18.02% flap necrosis rate, while Surgical Delay group had 37.31â...
Source: Journal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery - Category: Surgery Tags: J Plast Surg Hand Surg Source Type: research