BACKGROUND

Thin perforator skin flaps are of great practical importance in plastic surgery of limbs and face. Mechanical processing of the flap is necessary to achieve the optimal thickness of the transplanted tissue complex. This process often results damage to vascular connections, circulatory impairment and necrosis.

OBJECTIVE

To improve angiogenesis of thin perforator flaps via prefabrication of tissues by the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) in rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Inguinal fat harvesting in white laboratory rats was followed by isolation of SVF. In the experimental group, elevation of lateral thoracic artery perforator flap with mechanical removal of adjacent perforator vessels was followed by injection of SVF into the prepared area of the graft. The same procedure was performed with saline injection in the control group. We evaluated signs of flap necrosis and macroscopic pattern of vascular growth using diaphanoscopy. Moreover, histological and immunohistochemical studies were applied.

RESULTS

We obtained macroscopic and histological data on fast growth of blood vessels in the pre-fabricated flap. Necrosis and aseptic tissue inflammation were observed in the control group. We concluded that pre-fabrication of thin flaps via induction of vascular growth by SVF is a promising direction of reconstructive and plastic surgery.