Clinical application of the retrograde arterialized venous flap.
Retrograde arterialized venous flaps were applied to skin and soft-tissue defects in 13 patients with an average age of 34.4 years. Ten defects were located on the hand, and three on the lower leg. All flaps were harvested from the flexor aspect of the forearm; they ranged in size from 2 x 1 to 11 x 7 cm. There was venous congestion with superficial epidermolysis in six flaps, but not in the other seven. Partial skin necrosis in two of the lower-extremity flaps necessitated secondary skin grafts. Our results suggest that retrograde perfusion enhances blood flow in the periphery of arterialized venous flaps and gives good results in terms of flap survival, especially on the upper extremity.
Koch
Horst
H
Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Karl-Franzens University Hospital, Graz, Austria. horst.koch@uni-graz.at
Scharnagl
Erwin
E
Schwarzl
Franz X
FX
Haas
Franz M
FM
Hubmer
Martin
M
Moshammer
Harald E T
HE
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*