title: Doppler sonography and color duplex imaging for planning a perforator flap.
abstract: The most critical factor to predict viability for any muscle perforator flap is an adequate circulation. Therefore, it is advantageous during preoperative planning to have the capability to localize the requisite cutaneous perforator. Color duplex imaging fulfills this requirement and permits the identification of additional characteristics, including caliber, course, and flow velocity of essential perforators and any source vessel. Nevertheless, with the current state of technology, Doppler sonography remains a more rapid, convenient, and simpler method for perforator localization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, The Lehigh Valley Hospitals, 1230 South Cedar Crest Boulevard, Suite 306, Allentown, PA 18103, USA. pbhallock@cs.com
authors.forename: Geoffrey G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Hallock
mesh_terms: D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods