A perforator flap is a piece of skin and subcutaneous (fatty) tissue that is transferred from one part of the body to another in the same person so called autologous transplantation. In plastic surgery, perforator flaps are often used to reconstruct or to close defects due to trauma, tumor resection, and pressure sores. A transplanted perforator flap relies on its blood supply from one artery a...

BACKGROUND Perforator flaps minimize abdominal site morbidity during autologous breast reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the number of perforators harvested influences the overall deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap survival and flap-related complications. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of all DIEP flaps performed at the Hospital of the ...

Distally based radial artery perforator flap (DBRAPF) is useful for hand defects; however, the location of the perforator varies among individuals. Preoperative evaluation has been a problematic issue when performing this flap. A 64-year-old man developed squamous cell carcinoma on an old burn scar at the dorsal thumb and was referred to our clinic for further treatment. After wide resection of...

As microvascular techniques continue to improve, perforator flap free tissue transfer is now the gold standard for autologous breast reconstruction. Various options are available for breast reconstruction with autologous tissue. These include the free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap, deep inferior epigastric perforator flap, superficial inferior epigastric artery flap, supe...

BACKGROUND The use of perforator flaps has allowed for the transfer of large amounts of soft tissue with decreased morbidity. For breast reconstruction, the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap, the superior and inferior gluteal artery perforator flaps, and the transverse upper gracilis flap are all options. The authors present an alternative source using posterior thigh soft tissue based o...

Breast reconstruction using a perforator-based autologous flap is increasingly recognized as the preferred technique that provides an aesthetically pleasing restoration of breast form and volumewith longevity. Autologous flap reconstruction is widely accepted as the gold standard with deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap being favored.1 When there is insufficient abdominal tis...

BACKGROUND There is a dearth of detailed published work on the anatomy of ulnar artery perforators. The objective of this study was to fully document the vascular basis of the free proximal ulnar artery perforator flap and report its use in reconstruction of the hand. METHODS (1) The ulnar artery perforators were studied in 25 fresh cadavers and 10 cast preparations. Cadavers were injected wi...

INTRODUCTION Methods allowing one to locate the position of a cutaneous perforator do not allow one to determine the boundaries of the vascularized skin. In clinical practice this causes complications in the form of marginal necrosis of the flap. AIM To examine the usefulness of thermography to assess the extent of vascularization of the skin and subcutaneous tissue by a single perforator. ...