USE OF VEIN LOOPS IN RECONSTRUCTIVE PROCEDURES

The use of a temporary arteriovenous fistula prior to flap harvesting was suggested by Threlfall in 1982 (Threlfall, Aust NZ J Surg 52:182-1 84, 1982). The basic idea is to use long venous grafts that can be bra nched side-to-end to a main artery at an easily accessible level using one of the well-established exposures from general vascular surgery. In reconstructive microsurgery, AV-loops are used in limb salvage proc edures and in cancer surgery. These patients have often undergone prev ious surgery and additional radiotherapy. AV-loops facilitate the use of normal recipient vessels out of the zone of injury, or far away fro m scar or irradiated tissue. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.