“Vascular preparation first”: a valuable strategy in anterolateral thigh flap harvest

Free tissue transfer as a vascular source for the vessel‐depleted neck

“…The use of the technique developed as vascular preparation first during flap harvest emphasizes on the full exposure of the perforators of the flap . Only with careful dissection and preservation of the other perforators not used by the current flap can tissue be saved for future reconstructions.…”

“…With the flap harvest of vascular preparation first using the senior author's technique, when harvesting a flap such as the ALT, the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) is fully dissected and exposed throughout its length, while strong emphasis is taken to maintain the rest of the LCFA branches and perforators as safe as possible, using and clipping only those necessary to harvest the flap . Roughly, a 1.5‐ to 2‐cm length at the distal end of the pedicle is separated and, in this instance, the use of 1 artery and 1 vein was used.…”

The second‐time flap from the previously used anterior thigh donor site for head and neck microsurgical reconstruction

“…Patients’ mean age was 52 years (range, 32‐84 years). “Vascular preparation first” (VPF) strategy was applied in the harvest of every first‐time ALT flap . Left‐intact skin vessels and their source arteries, during the first surgery, were all documented by drawing and photos to assess the possibility of using them in future second‐time flaps.…”

“…"Vascular preparation first" (VPF) strategy was applied in the harvest of every first-time ALT flap. 10 2.1 | VPF strategy 10…”