Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

Title abbreviation: Adv Clin Exp Med
JCR Impact Factor (IF) – 2.1
5-Year Impact Factor – 2.2
Scopus CiteScore – 3.4 (CiteScore Tracker 3.4)
Index Copernicus  – 161.11; MEiN – 140 pts

ISSN 1899–5276 (print)
ISSN 2451-2680 (online)
Periodicity – monthly

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Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

2019, vol. 28, nr 9, September, p. 1153–1159

doi: 10.17219/acem/104530

Publication type: original article

Language: English

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Perforator artery response to tissue expansion: An experimental study in rabbits

Omer Kokacya1,A,B,C,D,E,F, Cengiz Eser1,A,B,C,D,E,F, Erol Kesiktas1,A,B,C,D,E,F, Eyuphan Gencel1,A,B,C,D,E,F, Huseyin Tugsan Balli2,A,B,C,D,E,F, Arbil Acikalin3,A,B,C,D,E,F

1 Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey

2 Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey

3 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey

Abstract

Background. The reconstruction of defects is a major area of interest in plastic surgery. Tissues are expanded to extend the tissue surface area and to prepare more reliable perforator flaps.
Objectives. Because expanded perforator flaps have become more popular, the aim of this study is to determine the response of the perforator artery to tissue expansion.
Material and Methods. We used a rabbit S1 perforator (first perforator branch of the thoracodorsal arteries) flap model. In 12 New Zealand White rabbits, left flaps were used as the experimental group (n = 12) and right flaps were used as the control group (n = 12). Both flaps were constructed in the dorsal skin. The experimental group was further divided into 3 subgroups according to expansion volume: 150 mL (n = 4), 200 mL (n = 4) and 250 mL (n = 4). We evaluated the responses of the perforator arteries to tissue expansion using the resistivity index (RI), the pulsatility index (PI), vessel diameter (D), histopathological examinations, and angiography.
Results. After 3 weeks of expansion, the perforator artery diameter had increased (p = 0.002) and the RI had decreased (p = 0.031) in the experimental group. The perforator artery diameter (p = 0.006) and RI had increased (p = 0.003) in the control group. No significant changes were observed in the PI in either group (p > 0.05) and no significant differences in post-expansion measurements were observed between experimental subgroups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion. Suprafascial expansion of a perforator flap leads to an increase in diameter and a decrease in the RI of the perforator artery. The decrease in RI may indicate increased flap perfusion.

Key words

perforator artery, tissue expansion, experimental, rabbit, Doppler indices

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