Abdominal muscles, such as the oblique- and transverse muscles, find their blood supply from multiple segmental pedicles from the iliac artery. Besides its superior vascularization, its release is simple, leaving two abdominal muscles for securing abdominal wall strength. The release of the muscle and coverage of the graft requires partial muscle mobilization and is a minor reconstruction, but ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plasmid DNA (pDNA) in improving flap revascularization in a previously developed rat model. Our hypothesis was that the uptake and expression of VEGF pDNA in the wound bed would improve revascularization and flap viability. DESIGN Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats received a total dose of 40 Gy electron beam radia...

UNLABELLED  Many factors are known to play a role in flap necrosis, such as inadequate blood flow and disturbed venous drainage, which lead to decreased flap nutrition and necrosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether adrenomedullin (ADM) and glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) administered at various doses directly to the superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) had an effect...

BACKGROUND Reconstruction of hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal defects remains one of the greatest challenges to head and neck and reconstructive surgeons. Although the jejunal free flap is a well-known reconstructive choice, many authors prefer alternative methods because of the complication rates and donor site morbidity associated with traditional jejunal flap harvest. Laparoscopic rese...

PURPOSE Although abdominal-based flaps remain the first choice for autologous breast reconstruction, alternative donor sites are necessary when the abdomen is unavailable. Abdominal donor site suitability is determined, at times, according to deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP)-protocol computed tomographic angiography (CTA) results. CTA provides information about the pelvis/upper thigh ...

BACKGROUND The Hartrampf perfusion zones of the lower abdominal flap are generally accepted. They were empirically based on the clinical impression of the perfusion in the first 16 unipedicled transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flaps and have been uncritically adopted for the free transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous and the free deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap...