THE EFFECTS OF SURGICAL AND CHEMICAL DELAY PROCEDURES ON THE SURVIVALOF ARTERIALIZED VENOUS FLAPS IN RABBITS

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a surgical de lay procedure and a combined surgical and chemical delay procedure on the survival of arterialized venous flaps. Experimental groups include d (1) a control group, (2) a surgical delay (4-day and 7-day delay) gr oup, and (3) a combined surgical and chemical (doxazosin mesylate, nit roglycerine patch) delay group. These groups were further divided into subgroups (n = 10) depending on the delay period and the chemical age nts. An arterialized venous flap was created on one ear of each rabbit . In the arterialized venous flap, arterial inflow was provided by ana stomosis of the central auricular artery to the anterior branch of the central auricular vein and a venous outflow through the anterior marg inal vein. In the control group, the arterialized venous flaps without any delay procedure shelved complete necrosis of all flaps, in the su rgical delay group, the mean percentage survival of arterialized venou s flaps was 36.6 percent in the 4-day delay group and,59.7 percent in the 7-day delay group. In the combined surgical and chemical delay gro up a S-day chemical delay followed by a 4-day: simultaneous surgical a nd chemical delay resulted in mean percentage survival of the arterial ized venous flaps of 81.1 percent in the doxazosin mesylate group, 72. 8 percent in the nitroglycerine patch group, and 92.9 percent in a com bination group of doxazosin mesylate and nitroglycerine patch. A 3-day chemical delay followed by a ii-day simultaneous surgical and chemica l delay resulted in mean percentage survival of the arterialized venou s flaps of 94 percent in the doxazosin mesylate group, 90.2 percent in the nitroglycerine patch group, and 99 percent ill a combination grou p of doxazosin mesylate and nitroglycerine patch. In conclusion, the s urgical delay procedure increased the percentage survival of the arter ialized venous flaps in proportion to the delay period. The combinatio n group of surgical and chemical delay procedures had a significantly greater percentage survival than that of the surgical delay group (p < 0.001), and the delay period could be shortened.