The neurovenous (or adiponeurovenous) epigastric flap in the rat

This study was carried out in order to investigate the survival of the neur ovenous flap in 30 Wistar rats. An inferior epigastric flap model was used. In addition to this, a preliminary study was performed to assess small ves sels in the loose areolar tissue of the neurovascular pedicle in six rats. Although failing to reach statistical significance, our best results were n oted in the groups where the vascular axis in the perivascular tissue was i ncluded in the flap. The vascular axis of the epigastric nerve did not supp ort a flap survival.