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Salvage of late flap compromise in deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps: To revise or not to revise.

ABSTRACT: Although the success rate of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps has increased, late flap failures still occur and have a low salvage rate. The present article describes a case of salvage of a case of late flap failure using the pedicle vein as a vein graft source. A 50-year-old woman underwent a bilateral DIEP free flap procedure. On postoperative day 6, she experienced flap compromise and underwent emergency flap revision. In the flap revision, flap venous drainage and the superficial inferior epigastric vein were completely obstructed. A Fogarty catheter was used to remove a thrombus from the completely obstructed pedicle vein, and this pedicle vein was used as a graft source and was ligated in retrograde fashion to the flap vein stump. After injection of urokinase into the arterial branch, venous flow to the flap was restored. At a 6-month follow-up visit in the outpatient clinic, only partial fat necrosis at the flap was noted. By dissecting various perforators in the initial operation, decisions regarding immediate revision can be made with more confidence. Additionally, the combined procedures performed in this case may be helpful even for practitioners treating cases of late flap compromise.

SUBMITTER: Hong SH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6976755 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Salvage of late flap compromise in deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps: To revise or not to revise.

Hong Seung Heon SH Lee Kyeong-Tae KT Pyon Jai-Kyong JK

Archives of plastic surgery 20200115 1

Although the success rate of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps has increased, late flap failures still occur and have a low salvage rate. The present article describes a case of salvage of a case of late flap failure using the pedicle vein as a vein graft source. A 50-year-old woman underwent a bilateral DIEP free flap procedure. On postoperative day 6, she experienced flap compromise and underwent emergency flap revision. In the flap revision, flap venous drainage and the superfi ...[more]

PMID: 31964131

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Project description:BackgroundRadiotherapy before mastectomy and autologous free-flap breast reconstruction can avoid adverse radiation effects on healthy donor tissues and delays to adjuvant radiotherapy. However, evidence for this treatment sequence is sparse. We aimed to explore the feasibility of preoperative radiotherapy followed by skin-sparing mastectomy and deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction in patients with breast cancer requiring mastectomy.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, non-randomised, feasibility study at two National Health Service trusts in the UK. Eligible patients were women aged older than 18 years with a laboratory diagnosis of primary breast cancer requiring mastectomy and post-mastectomy radiotherapy, who were suitable for DIEP flap reconstruction. Preoperative radiotherapy started 3-4 weeks after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and was delivered to the breast, plus regional nodes as required, at 40 Gy in 15 fractions (over 3 weeks) or 42·72 Gy in 16 fractions (over 3·2 weeks). Adverse skin radiation toxicity was assessed preoperatively using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group toxicity grading system. Skin-sparing mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction were planned for 2-6 weeks after completion of preoperative radiotherapy. The primary endpoint was the proportion of open breast wounds greater than 1 cm width requiring a dressing at 4 weeks after surgery, assessed in all participants. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02771938, and is closed to recruitment.FindingsBetween Jan 25, 2016, and Dec 11, 2017, 33 patients were enrolled. At 4 weeks after surgery, four (12·1%, 95% CI 3·4-28·2) of 33 patients had an open breast wound greater than 1 cm. One (3%) patient had confluent moist desquamation (grade 3). There were no serious treatment-related adverse events and no treatment-related deaths.InterpretationPreoperative radiotherapy followed by skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate DIEP flap reconstruction is feasible and technically safe, with rates of breast open wounds similar to those reported with post-mastectomy radiotherapy. A randomised trial comparing preoperative radiotherapy with post-mastectomy radiotherapy is required to precisely determine and compare surgical, oncological, and breast reconstruction outcomes, including quality of life.FundingCancer Research UK, National Institute for Health Research.

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Salvage of late flap compromise in deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps: To revise or not to revise.

Publications

Salvage of late flap compromise in deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps: To revise or not to revise.

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