Key result
A 1-week delay period prior to TRAM flap breast reconstruction was as effective as a 2-week delay in augmenting superior epigastric artery flow (18.2 vs 23.4 ml/min; P=NS).
Why the study?
Does a 1-week surgical delay period compared to a 2-week delay period improve superior epigastric artery diameter and flow in TRAM flap breast reconstruction?
Cohort (n=31)
Does a 1-week surgical delay period compared to a 2-week delay period improve superior epigastric artery diameter and flow in TRAM flap breast reconstruction?
A 1-week delay procedure is as effective as a 2-week delay in augmenting TRAM flap vascularity prior to breast reconstruction.
This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.
Thirty-one transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap breast reconstructions were performed after a delay period either of 1 week (group I, N = 15) or 2 weeks (group II, N = 16). The preliminary delay procedure consisted of bilateral deep inferior epigastric and superficial inferior epigastric artery and vein ligation. In group I the diameter and flow in the superior epigastric artery increased from baseline values of 1.3 +/- 0.3 mm and 7.25 +/- 0.8 ml per minute to 1.8 +/- 0.3 mm and 18.2 +/- 2.7 ml per minute at 1 week. In group II the diameter and flow in the superior epigastric artery increased from baseline values of 1.2 +/- 0.3 mm and 5.85 +/- 1.5 ml per minute to 1.7 +/- 0.4 mm and 23.4 +/- 6.2 ml per minute at 2 weeks. The differences between 1 and 2 weeks were not statistically significant. The complication rate in either group was similar. We conclude that a preliminary delay procedure is highly effective at augmenting TRAM flap vascularity and may be implemented between 1 and 2 weeks prior to TRAM flap breast reconstruction in high-risk patients.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
1-week delay may achieve comparable TRAM flap vascularity to 2-week; hypothesis-generating, requires randomized confirmation before practice change.
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Restifo et al. (1997) conducted a cohort in Breast reconstruction (n=31). 1-week preliminary delay procedure vs. 2-week preliminary delay procedure was evaluated on Superior epigastric artery flow (ml per minute) (p=NS). A 1-week delay period prior to TRAM flap breast reconstruction was as effective as a 2-week delay in augmenting superior epigastric artery flow (18.2 vs 23.4 ml/min; P=NS).
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