title: [Use of vacuum therapy during defect coverage of the upper extremity with microsurgically grafted arterialized venous flaps].
abstract: Arterialized venous soft tissue flaps are defined as tissue portions usually harvested from the anterior and distal third of the forearm over a venous pathway to be transplanted to another recipient area. Basically, they are composed of skin, subcutaneous tissue, and subdermal venous plexus. At the recipient site flaps are perfused by a nourishing artery while the other veins are connected to one or more regional veins. The retrograde blood perfusion often results in edema, temporary epidermolysis, or even some degree of skin necrosis that disappear during subsequent treatment. To circumvent these drawbacks grafting of arterialized flaps was combined with local application of vacuum to overcome the venous initial stasis, resulting in improved healing and survival of these flaps.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Plastische- und Handchirurgie, Chirurgische Universitätsklinik Erlangen. juergen.kopp@chir.imed.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polykandriotis
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kneser
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seyhan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohnolz
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Horch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003646:Debridement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012086:Reoperation; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014618:Vacuum; D014680:Veins / Q000601:surgery; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology