Anatomic evaluation of the facial artery and vein using color Doppler ultrasonography.

Despite the importance of preoperative evaluation of small vessels in flap elevation, the conventional methods such as palpation or Doppler probes are technically insufficient. These two methods do not detect varying venous patterns that would be identified during the operation in a "trial-and-error" manner. In order to overcome this problem in the facial vessels, an anatomic study was done using color Doppler ultrasonography in 12 adults. The artery and the vein were located together at the lower border of the mandible. On the other hand, around the oral commissure, they were located apart from each other with variable distances and variable size of vein. This divergence of the facial vein from the artery is important information in the planning of axial pattern flaps. It is suggested that color Doppler ultrasonography is a useful tool for venous identification in every body region.