Use of vein loops in reconstructive procedures.
The use of a temporary arteriovenous fistula prior to flap harvesting was suggested by Threlfall in 1982 (Threlfall, Aust NZ J Surg 52:182-184, 1982). The basic idea is to use long venous grafts that can be branched side-to-end to a main artery at an easily accessible level using one of the well-established exposures from general vascular surgery. In reconstructive microsurgery, AV-loops are used in limb salvage procedures and in cancer surgery. These patients have often undergone previous surgery and additional radiotherapy. AV-loops facilitate the use of normal recipient vessels out of the zone of injury, or far away from scar or irradiated tissue.
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland.
P
P
Giovanoli
V E
VE
Meyer
D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D005121:Extremities / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods; D014680:Veins / Q000637:transplantation*