Summary
Background
Microsurgical transfer of the vascularised fat flaps has become a well-established
method for soft-tissue augmentation because it has been believed to provide the restoration
of symmetry without atrophy. Yet little has been reported on the long-term fate of
the vascularised fat flaps. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the postoperative
changes that occur in the vascularised fat flaps after transplantation.
Methods
The superficial epigastric fat flaps based on the superficial inferior epigastric
vessels in rats were used for this study. Postoperative changes were analysed by comparing
pre- and postoperative weight, histological examination and fluorescent angiography.
Results
The weight of vascularised fat flaps was 56 ± 18% of the original weight (corrected
for body weight gain) 24 weeks after transplantation. In histological examinations,
the vascularised fat flaps had almost normal appearances throughout the experimental
period. Apoptosis of adipocytes was detected in the vascularised fat flaps using terminal
deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxy-uridine triphosphate (dUTP)-biotin
nick end-labelling (TUNEL) method during the first 4 weeks after transplantation.
Conclusions
The vascularised fat flaps reduced in weight by about 44% over a period of 24 weeks
after transplantation. Apoptosis may partly explain the weight loss.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 28, 2012
Accepted:
April 26,
2012
Received:
October 17,
2011
Footnotes
☆This work was presented in part at the research council meeting of Japanese society of plastic surgery in 2009 and 2010, Japanese society of microsurgery in 2009, and the Japanese society for AIDS research in 2009.
☆☆This work should be attributed to Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Hokkaido at Sapporo (UHS), Kita-15 Nishi-7, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8638, Japan.
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
