The effect of blood around a flap pedicle on flap perfusion in an experimental rodent model

Background. The vasospasm has been studied to a considerable extent in the neurosurgical literature. Little experimental and basic scientific literature about vasospasm of flap pedicle is available in the field of reconstructive microsurgery. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of presence of blood around the pedicle on a flap perfusion. Material and Methods. Blood flow through a right groin flap was continuously measured using Laser Doppler flowmetry on 40 male Wistar rats. A segment of the flap's pedicle was surgically cleared of adventitia and bathed in blood. The blood used was either collected from the tail of the rat (group A) or from the bleeding branch of the pedicle itself (group B). The differences between the signal amplitudes before and after exposure of the pedicle to blood were recorded. Results. The presence of blood around the pedicle resulted in a significant decrease in perfusion of the flap in both groups. However, no significant differences in the duration of impaired blood flow between the groups were observed. Conclusions. In conclusion, the presence of blood around the vascular pedicle may cause a significant decrease in the perfusion of a flap, while the origin of the blood does not appear to be an important factor.