Application of CT Angiography in Delayed DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction

How to safely and effectively locate, select and dissect the perforator vessels is the biggest difficulty in the preparation of DIEP flap. Preoperative CTA was used to evaluate the perforators of the DIEP flap. The CTA data were imported into the image analysis software to select the dominant perforators of the flap before operation, and to determine the anatomical information such as the diameter of the perforator vessel, the course of the perforator in the muscle, and the location of the perforator exit point, so as to guide the operation. In summary, CTA technology can accurately provide detailed anatomical information of perforator vessels, facilitate surgical design, reduce intraoperative perforator selection and dissection time, reduce the risk of secondary surgical exploration, and have a high imaging and surgical consistency rate, especially for patients with a history of abdominal surgery, CTA is of higher value. Therefore, CTA examination is worthy of clinical application in delayed DIEP breast flap reconstruction.