Microcirculatory Evaluation of the Abdominal Skin in Breast Reconstruction With Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flap

Background: No studies have assessed the perfusion of the undermined abdominal skin in breast reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap. A greater understanding of the procedure's impact on the perfusion of the abdominal skin can be valuable in predicting areas susceptible to necrosis.

Methods: Microcirculatory changes were monitored in the abdominal skin of 20 consecutive patients undergoing breast reconstruction with a deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap. Quantitative mapping was performed with laser Doppler perfusion imaging at seven set intervals. Measurements were taken and recorded within four standardized zones covering the skin between the xiphoid process and the upper incisional boundary of the flap (zone 1-4; cranial to caudal).