Vascularized flap prefabrication using rat caudal artery.

The experimental study was performed at the plastic and reconstructive surgery laboratory of the Georgian Medical Academy. The present study was designed to investigate the possibilities of neovascularization after rotation of arteriovenous pedicle from donor to recipient site (flap prefabrication). 70 white Wister rats weighting 150 to 300 g were used in this study. The rats were divided in 2 groups: experimental (50) and control (20) groups. Arteriovenous vascularized flap formation was performed in the experimental group. Skeletonized caudal vascular pedicle was rotated to the rat back area and implanted underneath the subcutaneous pouch. The control group was divided into 2 groups: 1. The flap morphological study and 2. Skin tunneling and morphological study. At different time intervals after prefabrication (2 week, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 month) the flap was morphologically studied and observed. Among the 2 control groups there were no difference according to the flap vascularization. In experimental group the results showed a progressive degree of neovascularization that correspond to the increasing length of the time that the pedicle was implanted in the flaps. In prefabricated flaps the number of newly formed vessels rather increased compared with control group, around the implanted artery and more around the implanted vein. The new vessels are of capillary type. There were no structural changes in the epidermis and dermis. It may be concluded that flap prefabrication is one of the real and alternative ways for tissue anatomical structure modelling.