title: Preoperative color Doppler ultrasound assessment of the lateral thoracic artery perforator flap and its branching pattern.
abstract: The anatomy of the lateral thoracic artery perforator flap remains controversial, but this region is extremely useful as a reconstructive donor site. In this report, we describe the usefulness of the preoperative color Doppler ultrasound evaluation for the harvesting of the lateral thoracic artery perforator flap, and we clarify its branching pattern. Twenty-seven patients underwent the preoperative color Doppler ultrasound assessment before perforator flaps were harvested. We evaluated the branching pattern and the diameter of the flaps by direct observation. All flaps were successfully transferred, and it was found that the branching pattern of the lateral thoracic perforator is divided into three groups: the superficial branch, the medial branch, and the deep branch. Their appearance ratios were 48.1% (13/27), 14.8% (4/27), and 81.5% (22/27), respectively. The lateral thoracic artery perforator flap has a great deal of anatomical variation, and vessels with relatively small diameters compared to those of other flaps. This is why flaps from this region are not currently popular. This study revealed the superiority of the color Doppler ultrasound for preoperative planning of the lateral thoracic artery perforator flap elevation. Furthermore, the branching pattern and the diameters of the different branches were specified.
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: tashirox@gmail.com.
authors: Kensuke
authors: K
authors: Tashiro
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Mitsunobu
authors: M
authors: Harima
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Mito
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Shibata
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Megumi
authors: M
authors: Furuya
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Motoi
authors: M
authors: Kato
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takumi
authors: T
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Yamashita
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Mitsunaga
authors: M
authors: Narushima
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takuya
authors: T
authors: Iida
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Isao
authors: I
authors: Koshima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061525:Perforator Flap / Q000098:blood supply*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D060053:Transplant Donor Site / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Color doppler ultrasound; Lateral thoracic artery perforator flap; Perforator-to-perforator anastomosis; Supermicrosurgery