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John Albinsson, MSc, PhD

John Albinsson

Research engineer

John Albinsson, MSc, PhD

Blood Perfusion of Human Upper Eyelid Skin Flaps Is Better in Myocutaneous than in Cutaneous Flaps

Author

  • Johanna V Berggren
  • Kajsa Tenland
  • Josefine Bunke
  • John Albinsson
  • Jenny Hult
  • Aboma Merdasa
  • Rafi Sheikh
  • Sandra Lindstedt
  • Malin Malmsjö

Summary, in English

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to monitor blood perfusion in human upper eyelid skin flaps and examine how the perfusion is affected by the thickness of the flap.

METHODS: Twenty upper eyelids were dissected as part of a blepharoplasty procedure in patients. The medial end of the blepharoplasty flap remained attached to mimic a flap design often used in reconstruction in the periocular area, a myocutaneous flap in which the blood supply follows the fibers of the orbicularis muscle and is thus parallel to the long axis of the flap. The muscle was thereafter dissected from the flap to create a cutaneous flap. Blood perfusion in the 2 types of flaps was compared using laser speckle contrast imaging.

RESULTS: Blood perfusion decreased gradually from the base to the tip of all the flaps. Perfusion was significantly higher in the myocutaneous flaps than in the cutaneous flaps (p < 0.0004): 69% in the myocutaneous flaps and 43% in the cutaneous flaps, measured 5 mm from the base. Blood perfusion was preserved to a greater extent distally in the myocutaneous flaps (minimum value seen at 25 mm) than in the cutaneous flaps (minimum seen at 11 mm).

CONCLUSIONS: Blood perfusion was better preserved in myocutaneous flaps, including both skin and the orbicularis oculi muscle, than in cutaneous flaps. This may be of clinical interest in patients with poor microcirculation in which a long flap is required for reconstructive surgery.

Department/s

  • Ophthalmology Imaging Research Group
  • Chemical Physics
  • Clinical and experimental lung transplantation
  • WCMM-Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine
  • StemTherapy: National Initiative on Stem Cells for Regenerative Therapy
  • Lung Bioengineering and Regeneration
  • NPWT technology
  • DCD transplantation of lungs

Publishing year

2022

Language

English

Pages

166-169

Publication/Series

Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Volume

38

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Topic

  • Surgery
  • Ophthalmology

Status

Published

Research group

  • Ophthalmology Imaging Research Group
  • Clinical and experimental lung transplantation
  • Lung Bioengineering and Regeneration
  • NPWT technology
  • DCD transplantation of lungs

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1537-2677