Distal skin ischemic necrosis is a common complication in skin flap surgery. The pathogenesis of skin flap ischemic necrosis is unclear, and there is no clinical treatment available. Here, we used the 4 x 10 cm rat dorsal skin flap model to test our hypothesis that subcutaneous injection of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) in skin flaps at the time of surgery is effective in aug...

Background & Objective:  Wound dressing and healing in diabetic patients is encountered with many problems. This study aims to investigate the effect of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on the survival of random skin flap (RSF) on Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (STZ) using an optical microscope. Materials & Methods:  In this study, 60 male Albino Wistar rats were used...

OBJECTIVE Ischemic pre-conditioning and post-conditioning are useful manipulations to reduce the undesirable effects of ischemia-reperfusion skin flap each. But the impact of post-conditioning on the pre-conditioning skin flap is not manifested. Here we investigated the influence of ischemic post-conditioning in a preconditioned axial pattern skin flap model. METHOD We used the skin flap in 4...

Rationale Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy is neither necessary nor recommended for the support of normal, uncompromised skin grafts or flaps. However, in tissue compromised by irradiation or in other cases where there is decreased perfusion or hypoxia, HBO2 has been shown to be extremely useful in flap salvage. Hyperbaric oxygen can help maximize the viability of the compromised tissue thereby...

HYPOTHESIS Tissue flaps are commonly used for surgical reconstruction, especially to cover difficult wounds and in breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Complications due to inadequate flap perfusion are a source of morbidity and, in the lower extremity, can result in amputation. SETTING Laboratory. INTERVENTIONS We evaluated the ability of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B and ...

which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. IMAGES Images Random skin flaps have been widely used for loss of skin and subcutaneous tissues for thousands of years [1]. Unlike the axial pattern flap, the blood supply of a random pattern flap is based on small unnamed vessels. Most unnamed vessels are p...

BACKGROUND Leeches are commonly used in reconstructive surgery for the treatment of venous congestion in flaps. Documented mechanisms of action are (1) injection of the anticoagulant hirudin; (2) active suction of blood; and (3) passive oozing of the bite wound. Even though the benefits of leeches in venous congestion are widely accepted, little is known about their effects in mixed arterio-ven...

BACKGROUND The aim of lower-extremity reconstruction has focused on wound coverage and functional recovery. However, there are limitations in the use of a local flap in cases of extensive defects of the lower-extremities. Therefore, free flap is a useful option in lower-extremity reconstruction. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of 49 patients (52 cases) who underwent lower-extremit...