title: Preoperative color duplex echographical venous mapping before autologous fat graft for calf augmentation: a case report of superficial vein thrombosis and prevalence of intersaphenic anastomosis.
abstract: Autologous fat grafting for calf augmentation is considered an easy and safe technique. Only few cases of potential complications have been described in literature; among them, vein thrombosis was never reported. We report a case of superficial vein thrombosis of the intersaphenic anastomosis after fat graft for calf symmetrization in club-foot syndrome. A color duplex echographical study showed that such intersaphenic anastomoses are present in all patients, but they have an ectatic diameter in 70% of patients with great saphenous vein insufficiency and in 50% of patients without insufficiency. The plastic surgeon should be aware of the presence and topography of such anatomical variations before performing the procedure. Moreover, a preoperative color duplex echographical venous mapping may help the surgeon in avoiding the trauma on vein variants and subsequent complications.
authors.affiliation: From the *Plastic Surgery Department and †Vascular Surgery Department, San Giovanni Battista di Torino, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fraccalvieri
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Contessa
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salomone
authors.forename: Enrico Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zingarelli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruschi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control