title: CT-angiography prior to DIEP flap breast reconstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preoperative CT-angiography (CTA) has shown to reduce operative time in deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction compared to Doppler ultrasonography (US). Although decreased flap loss has been suggested, statistical significant reduction remains indeterminate. The purpose of this review is to evaluate flap loss after preoperative CTA and Doppler US in DIEP-flap breast reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries. All articles comparing CTA to Doppler US were selected and critically appraised; data on flap loss were extracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 678 studies, eight were selected for appraisal. Six case-control studies were included in the final analysis. Pooled analysis showed CTA resulted in a significant reduction in partial necrosis (odds ratio/OR 0.15; 95% confidence interval/CI 0.07-0.32, P < 0.0001) and decreased flap loss (OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.10-0.79, P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studies included in this meta-analysis have several limitations. However, most studies find a large clinical advantage of CTA over Doppler US, which reaches statistical significance when combined. As results show that CTA prior to DIEP flap breast reconstruction offers significant clinical benefits, we suggest the routine use of preoperative CTA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. teunteunis@gmail.com
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teunis
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Heerma van Voss
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kon
authors.forename: J F M Macaré
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: van Maurik
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D009336:Necrosis; D061525:Perforator Flap / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D057234:Preoperative Period; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary