title: A reliable and aesthetic technique for cephalic vein harvest in DIEP flap surgery.
abstract: The need for a secondary source of venous drainage in deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flaps is common, with the cephalic vein commonly utilized as an alternative venous recipient vessel. In using the cephalic vein, previous studies have described the deltopectoral groove or the infraclavicular fossa as the site for harvest. We describe the use of an anterior axillary skin crease, which can improve aesthetic outcome, reduce the time needed for harvest, enable a greater length of vein to be transposed, and minimize surgical insult to the upper breast/chest wall. An anterior axillary-line skin fold can be used as the site for cephalic vein harvest, and using the methodology described, the technique can be fast and highly reliable and result in a final scar that is barely visible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Uppsala Clinic Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thorir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Audolfsson
authors.forename: Warren M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Rozen
authors.forename: Marcus J D
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wagstaff
authors.forename: Iain S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Acosta
mesh_terms: D019074:Epigastric Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*