Study and Modeling of Perforator Flap Vascularization

Plain-language summary

The aim of reconstructive surgery is to restore physical integrity altered by trauma, congenital malformations or cancerous pathologies. Several techniques are available, including flap surgery, which enables tissue to be moved from one anatomical location to another. Perforating skin/subcutaneous flaps are segments of skin and subcutaneous cellular tissue vascularized by a feeder vascular pedicle. This surgical technique has virtually zero donor-site morbidity, as it is no longer necessary to harvest muscle to ensure reliable vascularization of the flap. Flap vascularization is a variable mechanism, complex to describe and understand. For cutaneous and subcutaneous (fatty) flaps, which account for the majority of flaps used, perforator flaps (vascularized by a subcutaneous perforator artery) have become the benchmark. Unfortunately, their vascularization is currently poorly understood, and depends on experimental work carried out on fresh cadaveric anatomical specimens. These cadaveric studies fail to take into account several key factors influencing perforasomes (perforasome: skin territory vascularized by a pedicle), namely body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, intraoperative patient position and biological parameters.

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