title: [Preoperative Doppler evaluation of vascular perforators in the anterolateral thigh flap harvest].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of Hadeco ES-1000spm hand-held doppler during the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap harvest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients (26 sides) with ALT flaps for head and neck reconstruction between May 2005 and May 2010 received preoperative Doppler examination for the location of the cutaneous perforators of ALT flaps. The Doppler signals and body mass index (BMI) were recorded preoperatively according to ABC system. The locations of Doppler signals and of the actual cutaneous perforators at surgery were plotted and compared. The diameter of perforators was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One to three cutaneous perforators of the ALT flap were consistently found at specific locations. They were named perforators A, B, C from proximal to distal. Perforators A, B and C were present in 15 (58%), 24 (92%) and 20 (77%) cases and the diameter (> 0.5 mm) of A, B and C were 11/15, 22 (92%) and 8 (40%) respectively. The Doppler signal was within 0.5 cm of the actual perforator location in 85% flaps. The accuracy of Doppler decreased with increase of BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative assessment by hand-held Doppler is useful in predicting the perforator vessels' locations and diameter although it's accuracy is limited.
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, China Medical University, Shenyang 110002, China.
authors: Zhong-fei
authors: ZF
authors: Xu
authors: Wei-yi
authors: WY
authors: Duan
authors: De-hao
authors: DH
authors: Shang
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Dai
authors: Xiao-jiao
authors: XJ
authors: Zheng
authors: Chang-fu
authors: CF
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061525:Perforator Flap; D011300:Preoperative Care; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013848:Thigh / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler