title: The Omental Pedicle Flap in Dogs Revised and Refined: A Cadaver Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To expand current knowledge on the canine omental vasculature and refine the existing lengthening technique of the canine omentum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ex vivo study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Canine cadavers (n=20).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 10 canine cadavers the omental arteries were mapped using intravascular latex injection and these results were used to create an omental pedicle flap based on the splenic artery in 10 additional cadavers. The operating range of the flap was recorded with particular attention to the main regions of interest for omental transposition in dogs (axillary and inguinal regions).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The superficial and deep omental leaves were each predominantly supplied by a left and a right marginal omental artery that anastomosed near the caudal omental border into a superficial and a deep omental arch, respectively. Anastomoses between arteries of the superficial and the deep omental leaves were weak and inconsistent, except for 1 anastomosis that was found in 8 of 10 dogs. By transposing the intact omentum, the right axilla could be reached in 3 dogs, both axillae in 1 dog, and both groins in all cadavers. In all cases, the omental pedicle reached to and beyond the axillary and inguinal regions. By unfolding the pedicle leaves, the width of the pedicle tip could be doubled.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When lengthening the omentum is necessary to reach extra-abdominal structures, the omental pedicle flap based on the splenic artery appears to preserve the omental vascular supply. These observations warrant further clinical trials to evaluate this new omtental flap technique in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doom
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cornillie
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simoens
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huyghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Rooster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002102:Cadaver; D004285:Dogs; D009852:Omentum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000662:veterinary*