Perfusion Mapping of Flaps Using Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Angiography and Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging.

Background: Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICG-FA) is often used for assessing tissue circulation in reconstructive surgery. Indocyanine green (ICG) is injected intravenously and visualized in the tissue with an infrared camera. The information is used to plan the surgery, for example, in free flap breast reconstructions. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is another method that uses laser to assess tissue perfusion in the skin. Unlike ICG-FA, LSCI is noninvasive and may therefore have an advantaged compared with ICG-FA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between information obtained from these two techniques. Methods: Five deep inferior epigastric perforator patients were included. The flaps were assessed with LSCI and ICG-FA. For LSCI, the perfusion was calculated in 32 regions of interest. For ICG-FA, the maximum slope and area under curve (AUC) were calculated based on average pixel intensity data. Results: Large variations in maximum slope values could be seen between flaps, whereas AUC had lower variability within the same flap and between flaps. Pearson rank correlation comparing average perfusion (LSCI) and AUC (ICG-FA) showed a correlation between the values (r = 0.55, P < 0.0001). No significant correlation was observed between perfusion and maximum slope (r = 0.11, P = 0.18). Conclusions: There is a significant correlation between data obtained using LSCI and ICG-FA, when ICG-FA data are presented as AUC of the ICG-FA intensity curve. Maximum slope lacks significant correlation with flap data obtained with LSCI. The study indicates that LSCI may be used in reconstructive surgery to assess tissue circulation in a way similar to ICG-FA.

Skin perfusion and oxygen saturation after mastectomy and radiation therapy in breast cancer patients.

The pathophysiological mechanism behind complications associated with postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) and subsequent implant-based breast reconstruction are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to examine if there is a relationship between PMRT and microvascular perfusion and saturation in the skin after mastectomy and assess if there is impaired responsiveness to a topically applied vasodilator (Methyl nicotinate - MN). Skin microvascular perfusion and oxygenation >2 years after PMRT were measured using white light diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in the irradiated chest wall of 31 women with the contralateral breast as a control. In the non-irradiated breast, the perfusion after application of MN (median 0.84, 25th-75th centile 0.59-1.02 % RBC × mm/s) was higher compared to the irradiated chest wall (median 0.51, 25th-75th centile 0.21-0.68 % RBC × mm/s, p < 0.001). The same phenomenon was noted for saturation (median 91 %, 25th-75th centile 89-94 % compared to 89 % 25th-75th centile 77-93 %, p = 0.001). Eight of the women (26%) had a ≥10 % difference in skin oxygenation between the non-irradiated breast and the irradiated chest wall. These results indicate that late microvascular changes caused by radiotherapy of the chest wall significantly affect skin perfusion and oxygenation.

Correlation between Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Angiography and Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging in a Flap Model.

Background: Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICG-FA) is used to assess tissue intraoperatively in reconstructive surgery. This requires an intra-venous dye injection for each assessment. This is not necessary in laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI); therefore, this method may be better suited for tissue evaluation. To determine this, we compared the two methods in a porcine flap model. Methods: One random and one pedicled flap were raised on each buttock of six animals. They were assessed with LSCI at baseline, when raised (T0), at 30 minutes (T30) and with ICG-FA at T0 and T30. Regions of interest (ROI) were chosen along the flap axis. Perfusion, measured as perfusion units (PU) in the LSCI assessment and pixel-intensity for the ICG-FA video uptake, was calculated in the ROI. Correlation was calculated between PU and pixel-intensity measured as time to peak (TTP) and area under curve for 60 seconds (AUC60). Results: Correlation between LSCI and AUC60 for the ICG-FA in corresponding ROI could be seen in all flaps at all time points. The correlation was higher for T0 (r=0.7 for random flap and r=0.6 for pedicled flap) than for T30 (r=0.57 for random flap and r=0.59 for pedicled flap). Even higher correlation could be seen PU and TTP (T0: random flap r=-0.8 and pedicled flap r=0.76. T30: random flap r=-0.8 and pedicled flap r=0.71). Conclusion: There is a correlation between PU from LSCI and TTP and AUC60 for ICG-FA, indicating that LSCI could be considered for intraoperative tissue assessment.

Stretchable gold nanowire-based cuff electrodes for low-voltage peripheral nerve stimulation.

Objective. Electrical stimulation of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) can treat various diseases and disorders, including the healing process after nerve injury. A major challenge when designing electrodes for PNS stimulation is the mechanical mismatch between the nerve and the device, which can lead to non-conformal contact, tissue damage and inefficient stimulation due to current leakage. Soft and stretchable cuff electrodes promise to tackle these challenges but often have limited performance and rely on unconventional materials. The aim of this study is to develop a high performance soft and stretchable cuff electrode based on inert materials for low-voltage nerve stimulation.Approach. We developed 50µm thick stretchable cuff electrodes based on silicone rubber, gold nanowire conductors and platinum coated nanowire electrodes. The electrode performance was characterized under strain cycling to assess the durability of the electrodes. The stimulation capability of the cuff electrodes was evaluated in anin vivosciatic nerve rat model by measuring the electromyography response to various stimulation pulses.Main results. The stretchable cuff electrodes showed excellent stability for 50% strain cycling and one million stimulation pulses. Saturated homogeneous stimulation of the sciatic nerve was achieved at only 200 mV due to the excellent conformability of the electrodes, the low conductor resistance (0.3 Ohm sq-1), and the low electrode impedance.Significance. The developed stretchable cuff electrode combines favourable mechanical properties and good electrode performance with inert and stable materials, making it ideal for low power supply applications within bioelectronic medicine.

Intraoperative Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging in DIEP Breast Reconstruction: A Prospective Case Series Study.

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a laser-based perfusion imaging technique that recently has been shown to predict ischemic necrosis in an experimental flap model and predicting healing time of scald burns. The aims were to investigate perfusion in relation to the selected perforator during deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap surgery, and to evaluate LSCI in assisting of prediction of postoperative complications. METHODS: Twenty-three patients who underwent DIEP-procedures for breast reconstruction at 2 centers were included. Perfusion was measured in 4 zones at baseline, after raising, after anastomosis, and after shaping the flap. The perfusion in relation to the selected perforator and the accuracy of LSCI in predicting complications were analyzed. RESULTS: After raising the flap, zone I showed the highest perfusion (65 ± 10 perfusion units, PU), followed by zone II (58 ± 12 PU), zone III (53 ± 10 PU), and zone IV (45 ± 10 PU). The perfusion in zone I was higher than zone III (P = 0.002) and zone IV (P < 0.001). After anastomosis, zone IV had lower perfusion than zone I (P < 0.001), zone II (P = 0.01), and zone III (P = 0.02). Flaps with areas <30 PU after surgery had partial necrosis postoperatively (n = 4). CONCLUSIONS: Perfusion is highest in zone I. No perfusion difference was found between zones II and III. Perfusion <30 PU after surgery was correlated with partial necrosis. LSCI is a promising tool for measurement of flap perfusion and assessment of risk of postoperative ischemic complications.

The use of laser speckle contrast imaging to predict flap necrosis: An experimental study in a porcine flap model.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the use of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) in the perioperative planning in reconstructive flap surgery. The aim of the study was to investigate whether LSCI can predict regions with a high risk of developing postoperative necrosis. Our hypothesis was that, perioperatively, such regions have perfusion values below a threshold value and show a negative perfusion trend. METHODS: A porcine flap model based on the cranial gluteal artery perforator was used. Images were acquired before surgery, immediately after surgery (t = 0), after 30 min (t = 30 min), and after 72 h (t = 72 h). Regions of interest (ROIs) were chosen along the central axis of the flap. Clinical evaluation of the flap was made during each time point. RESULTS: At t = 72 h, a demarcation line could be seen at a distance of 15.8 ±â€¯0.4 cm away from the proximal border of the flaps. At t = 0, perfusion decreased gradually from the proximal to the distal ROI. At t = 30 min, perfusion was significantly lower in the ROI distal to the final demarcation line than that at t = 0, and in all flaps, these ROIs had a perfusion <25 PU. At t = 72 h, perfusion in the ROI proximal to this line returned to baseline levels, whereas perfusion in the distal ROI remained low. CONCLUSIONS: In our model, a decrease in perfusion during the first 30 min after surgery and a perfusion <25 PU at t = 30 min was a predictor for tissue morbidity 72 h after surgery, which indicates that LSCI is a promising technique for perioperative monitoring in reconstructive flap surgery.

Better Protection of Glass-Fronted Stoves Is Needed in Sweden Because of the Increase in the Number of Contact Burns Among Small Children.

The impression among the attending physicians at their Burn Centre is that the number of contact burns caused by glass-fronted stoves is increasing, particularly in the youngest group of patients. It is an interesting subgroup, as these injuries are preventable. The authors' aim of this study was to find out whether the incidence of burns after contact with glass-fronted stoves has increased.The authors included all patients aged between 0 and 3.9 years who presented to the National Burn Centre during the period 2008-2015 with contact burn injuries caused by glass-fronted stoves. The change in incidence over time was calculated from national records and analyzed with simple linear regression.Fifty-six patients were included, of whom 20 were treated during the past 2 years of the study. Thirty-seven of the 56 were boys (66%), median (10-90 percentiles) age was 1.1 (0.7-2.5) years, percentage total body surface area burned was 0.6% (0.1-2.0), 12 were admitted for overnight stay in hospital, and seven needed operations. The incidence was 0.34/100 000 children-years during the first 2 years, and it was three times as high during the past 2 years. The increase in incidence was 0.24/100 000 children-years by each 2-year period (P = .02).The authors' results indicate that contact burns among children caused by glass-fronted stoves are increasing in Sweden. The authors propose that there should be a plan for their prevention put in place.

Vascular Occlusion in a Porcine Flap Model: Effects on Blood Cell Concentration and Oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: Venous congestion in skin flaps is difficult to detect. This study evaluated the ability of tissue viability imaging (TiVi) to measure changes in the concentration of red blood cells (CRBC), oxygenation, and heterogeneity during vascular provocations in a porcine fasciocutaneous flap model. METHODS: In 5 pigs, cranial gluteal artery perforator flaps were raised (8 flaps in 5 pigs). The arterial and venous blood flow was monitored with ultrasonic flow probes. CRBC, tissue oxygenation, and heterogeneity in the skin were monitored with TiVi during baseline, 50% and 100% venous occlusion, recovery, 100% arterial occlusion and final recovery, thereby simulating venous and arterial occlusion of a free fasciocutaneous flap. A laser Doppler probe was used as a reference for microvascular perfusion in the flap. RESULTS: During partial and complete venous occlusion, increases in CRBC were seen in different regions of the flap. They were more pronounced in the distal part. During complete arterial occlusion, CRBC decreased in all but the most distal parts of the flap. There were also increases in tissue oxygenation and heterogeneity during venous occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: TiVi measures regional changes in CRBC in the skin of the flap during arterial and venous occlusion, as well as an increase in oxygenated hemoglobin during venous occlusion that may be the result of reduced metabolism and impaired delivery of oxygen to the tissue. TiVi may provide a promising method for measuring flap viability because it is hand-held, easy to-use, and provides spatial information on venous congestion.

Methodological concerns with laser speckle contrast imaging in clinical evaluation of microcirculation.

BACKGROUND: Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) is a non-invasive and fast technique for measuring microvascular blood flow that recently has found clinical use for burn assessment and evaluation of flaps. Tissue motion caused by for example breathing or patient movements may however affect the measurements in these clinical applications, as may distance between the camera and the skin and tissue curvature. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the effect of frame rate, number of frames/image, movement of the tissue, measuring distance and tissue curvature on the measured perfusion. METHODS: Methyl nicotinate-induced vasodilation in the forearm skin was measured using LSCI during controlled motion at different speeds, using different combinations of frame rate and number of frames/image, and at varying camera angles and distances. Experiments were made on healthy volunteers and on a cloth soaked in a colloidal suspension of polystyrene microspheres. RESULTS: Measured perfusion increased with tissue motion speed. The relation was independent of the absolute perfusion in the skin and of frame rate and number of frames/image. The measured perfusion decreased with increasing angles (16% at 60°, p = 0.01). Measured perfusion did not vary significantly between measurement distances from 15 to 40 cm (p = 0.77, %CV 0.9%). CONCLUSION: Tissue motion increases and measurement angles beyond 45° decrease the measured perfusion in LSCI. These findings have to be taken into account when LSCI is used to assess moving or curved tissue surfaces, which is common in clinical applications.

Monitoring of partial and full venous outflow obstruction in a porcine flap model using laser speckle contrast imaging.

BACKGROUND: In microsurgery, there is a demand for more reliable methods of post-operative monitoring of free flaps, especially with regard to tissue-threatening obstructions of the feeding arteries and draining veins. In this study, we evaluated laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) to assess their possibilities to detect partial and full venous outflow obstruction, as well as full arterial occlusion, in a porcine flap model. METHODS: Cranial gluteal artery perforator flaps (CGAPs) were raised, and arterial and venous blood flow to and from the flaps was monitored using ultrasonic flow probes. The venous flow was altered with an inflatable cuff to simulate partial and full (50% and 100%) venous obstruction, and arterial flow was completely obstructed using clamps. The flap microcirculation was monitored using LSCI and LDF. RESULTS: Both LDF and the LSCI detected significant changes in flap perfusion. After partial (50%) venous occlusion, perfusion decreased from baseline, LSCI: 63.5 ± 12.9 PU (p = 0.01), LDF 31.3 ± 15.7 (p = 0.64). After 100% venous occlusion, a further decrease in perfusion was observed: LSCI 54.6 ± 14.2 PU (p < 0.001) and LDF 16.7 ± 12.8 PU (p < 0.001). After release of the venous cuff, LSCI detected a return of the perfusion to a level slightly, but not significantly, below the baseline level 70.1 ± 11.5 PU (p = 0.39), while the LDF signal returned to a level not significant from the baseline 36.1 ± 17.9 PU (p > 0.99). Perfusion during 100% arterial occlusion decreased significantly as measured with both methods, LSCI: 48.3 ± 7.7 (PU, p < 0.001) and LDF: 8.5 ± 4.0 PU (p < 0.001). During 50% and 100% venous occlusion, LSCI showed a 20% and 26% intersubject variability (CV%), respectively, compared to 50% and 77% for LDF. CONCLUSIONS: LSCI offers sensitive and reproducible measurements of flap microcirculation and seems more reliable in detecting decreases in blood perfusion caused by venous obstruction. It also allows for perfusion measurements in a relatively large area of flap tissue. This may be useful in identifying areas of the flap with compromised microcirculation during and after surgery.