title: Effects of venous hypertension on rabbit free flap survival.
abstract: A two-stage project was developed to study the effect of increased venous pressure on blood flow and survival in microvascular free tissue transfers. A rabbit epigastric fasciocutaneous free flap model was used. The blood flow in the rabbit epigastric free flap is 1.07 +/- 0.06 ml/min. The average venous pressure is 8.6 +/- 1.7 cm water. A logarithmic relationship between blood flow and venous pressure was demonstrated, with a statistically significant decrease in blood flow to 20-35% of the control values when the venous pressure rose above 28-30 cm water. This study stands in support of the tolerance by free tissue transfers of pressures below this range. The results further show a positive correlation between increasing venous pressure and free flap failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30308.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rooks
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Masear
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gould
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002404:Catheterization; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000295:instrumentation; D005263:Femoral Artery; D005268:Femoral Vein; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000502:physiology*; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000502:physiology; D014690:Venous Pressure / Q000502:physiology