Clinical Applications of Venous Free Flaps

Cho, Tae Young; Kim, Kwang Seog; Kim, Dae Young; Lee, Sam Yong; Cho, Bek Hyun

Abstract

For the treatment of soft tissue defect, variable methods can be used from primary closure to free tissue transfer. During the past decade, the use of microvascular free flaps has been established as an important reconstructive method in plastic surgery. Venous flap was first introduced by Nakayama in 1981, and this flap has been used in various type of skin and soft tissue defect. Venous flaps are classified into 4 types (pedicled, venovenous, arterialized, and arteriovenous venous flap) with reference to the vessels that enter and leave the flap. These flaps have some advantages compared with arterial free flap; technically easy, very thin, no need to sacrifice of an artery, and many choice for donor site of venous flaps. Clinically, we performed 12 cases of arteriovenous venous free flap and 2 cases of pedicled venous flaps to the soft tissue defect of the extremities. Ten flaps survived completely, while three flaps showed partial necrosis and one flap was totally lost.