Background: Preoperative mapping and evaluation of the location, presence or absence of anterolateral thigh flap perforators with measuring the diameters and blood flow of vessels in donor and recipient sites by colour Doppler ultrasound techniques in patients who undergo microvascular free flap procedures for reconstruction of the head and neck, has been a great asset to the surgeon for planning the reconstruction technique, this article discusses the role of such ultrasound techniques.

Methods: 47 patients who have undergone reconstructive surgeries; preoperative ultrasound examination was done to the vessels and perforators. The suitability between the donor and recipient sites was assessed. Comparison between the existence of perforators on ultrasound and intraoperatively was done.

Results: 45 of the patients were found to have one or more perforators, 95.6% of the flaps have survived after follow-up, in total two flaps have failed, one flap was with complete necrosis, and the second one was with partial necrosis. 87.5% of the ultrasound detected perforators were confirmed intraoperatively to be present.

Title

International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Publisher

Elsevier

Publisher Country

Denmark

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

2.4

Publication Type

Online only

Volume

46

Year

2017

Pages

333